


Always been that way

by TWDObsessive



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bottom Daryl, Canon-Typical Violence, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Undertones, Don't panic- still lots of smut, Dub-con in chapter 7, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Humiliation, Hurt/Comfort, Knifeplay, Light BDSM, M/M, Masturbation in Shower, Obedience, Ok there ended up being a plot, Oral Fixation, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Power Play, Punishment, Rickyl, Self-Harm, Smut, Spanking, Top Rick, Virgin Daryl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-03
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-21 00:08:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 44,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3670140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TWDObsessive/pseuds/TWDObsessive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl and Rick have always had a special connection.  Once they act on it, their D/s relationship becomes intense and complicated, especially since they are still trying to survive during the Zombie Apocalypse. </p><p>Note: In this AU, there are no children in the prison.</p><p>This fic is now completed!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First time trying plotless smut. Not sure it's my strength but wanted to test it out.

Daryl and Rick had long been able to communicate without words. They used eye contact and nods to do anything from hunting, to killing walkers, to calculating escapes from tight situations. 

They knew each others every thought and recently, it had become clear to both, there was something on a much deeper level between them. They didn't speak of it, but they both knew.

Neither had been previously attracted to men. In fact, neither were now. Just to each other. The sexual tension was building between them and both knew it. It was almost a game of chicken to see who would make the first move.

Daryl was worked up after another long day of working side by side with Rick. Watching his long lean body, his confident stride, his sweat-soaked curls, his blazing blue eyes that knew what he was thinking. 

After dinner, when the sun was nearly set, he slipped out of the prison and walked around to the back. No one ever came that way. Front gate and the constant hoards of walkers were around front. That was where everyone's focus always was.

He'd been hard through the entire meal as he sat thigh to thigh with Rick. He had to unload before he burst. Leaning against the cement prison wall he closed his eyes and pictured Rick, naked from one of the times they had nowhere else to clean up but a lake and he stripped in the sun, tan and lean. Tight ass. Muscles. So strong and so confident.

Daryl unbuckled and unzipped, his hand around his hard cock stroking slow.

"Thinking about me?" Rick's voice broke through Daryl's imagination. 

The hunter's eyes popped open.

"Fuck, Rick. What are you doing here?" Daryl said pulling his hand out of his pants.

"Don't stop." Rick demanded, his eyes glazed over.

Daryl held his gaze. Slipped his hand back down his pants. 

Rick walked closer and yanked his pants down. Backed away to watch. 

Daryl's eyes dropped and landed on the bulge in Rick's pants and then to the ground. 

"Look at me" Rick ordered. And Daryl did. He always did whatever Rick asked of him. He continued to stroke himself as he kept Rick's gaze. 

"You just gonna stand there 'n watch?" The hunter asked.

"What do you want me to do?"

Daryl didn't answer.

Rick charged toward him and turned him roughly towards the wall. 

He unbuckled his belt and dropped his own pants. He tugged at Daryl's hair so he could see his face and stuck a finger between his lips. "Suck". He instructed. And Daryl did. 

With the moist finger, Rick reached  
down and slipped it into Daryl's hole readying him for more. 

Daryl groaned and Rick quickly realized that the power he had to make this man writhe before him was exhilarating. 

"Lean forward. Put your hands on the wall so I can get to you"

Daryl obeyed.

He spit in his hand and and slicked himself. Slowly Rick entered the hunter and he listened as Daryl's breath quickened with excitement. 

"You always do everything I say. Don't you? I like that." Rick whispered.

Rick's cock moved in and out of Daryl until it went far enough to stimulate the prostate and Daryl, hands still on the wall leaned his head back with a guttural moan"Jesus Christ. I'm gonna cum w'th out you even touching my dick."

Rick quickly pulled out. Still getting his buzz from the control.

"Don't stop" Daryl pleaded.

"Get down on all fours." Rick said,  
His voice getting thick with sexual energy.

Daryl dropped to the ground. And Rick went to his knees and fucked him hard and fast like a wild animal. 

"You always gonna obey me?"

"Yes, god, yes"

"No matter what I ask for?" Rick asked darkly as he rammed into Daryl's tight hot ass.

"Yes-Anything"

"I want to hear you cum right now." Rick thrust into the prostate and Daryl, from the combination of Rick's cock and his sexy demanding voice burst a load into the grass without even having a hand on himself.

He cried out with the release and Rick came quickly at the tightness gripping his cock and the high he was riding from the power he had to control this man he'd wanted so badly for so long.

After they were dressed, Daryl asked challengingly "So this is how it is? I do whatever you say?"

"Always been that way." Rick said and started walking back to the front of the prison.

"C'mon". Rick said. And Daryl followed.


	2. Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Daryl find some alone time and the leader's confident control over his hunter continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much nothing but dominance and oral sex. I was so tickled at how well received my first attempt at serious smut was, that I had to continue!

Nothing changed. Such a big shift in their relationship, and really nothing changed. Rick continued to act as the leader of the group, and Daryl, as always, was his right hand man.

They hunted together and ate together as they always had. Made no mention of the incident either positively or negatively in the three days since it happened. (Although Daryl did Jack off to the memory of it every night since.)

When the time came for another run to find supplies, Rick told Daryl to pack up the car for a day run, to which Daryl unquestionably obeyed. Rick went through the prison to find out what other supplies should be on their list.

On the ride out they spoke about items on the list, the map, surrounding towns and at some points, nothing at all.

They were on a new route and stopped at a rest area building they'd never been by before. Not a typical place that might have been picked over, so maybe a chance of supplies left. 

Three vehicles were in the parking lot so in unspoken unison they acted to clear them, clear the surrounding area and then walked into the building, Rick first, Daryl right behind. 

Rick looked at the hunter with unspoken instruction to make noise ...draw any walkers out. Daryl kicked a metal trash can across the lobby. 

They listened for the moans. Heard 'em. Gaged the threat based on sound.

"Just three or four, let's wait and clear them." Rick instructed as the sound of feet shuffling approached. Daryl nodded. 

Getting inpatient, the hunter banged on a soda machine "C'mon fuckers, let's get this show on the road."

There were four. By this point in the apocalypse, they could barely tell if they were man or woman, old or young. They were just dead. Well, not quite dead enough. At the site of just four, both men opted for knives and quickly dispatched the rotters.

Once they had the place to themselves, they emptied out the soda and snack machines. Busted into the supply closet and found a first aid kit, bunch of paper towels and toilet paper. After loading up their vehicle they made one last sweep of the building.

Rick opened up a bottled water he'd held onto and guzzled in one swallow. He looked at the four dead walkers and in an unusual wild moment, he stomped down on each head splattering brains and blood across the smooth beige floor.

Daryl looked at him questioning. 

"Sorry- haven't had any release since the back of the prison." Rick said, sitting down on an interior bench in the atrium. 

"You haven't? Christ, Rick I've jacked it three times since then. It's how I stay zen."

Rick looked up at him with his stern controlled stare. "Don't do that without me."

Daryl actual got butterflies in his belly and felt himself blush, knowing he was going to obey and basically handing Rick all control. 

"K" Daryl said and nodded. And Rick knew he'd keep his word.

Rick unbuckled his belt and holster, unzipped his pants and exposed his hard-on.

With his eyes, he directed Daryl to get on his knees. And Daryl complied.

"Don't really know how to do this, Rick."

"Don't matter. You'll figure it out. Watch yer teeth." Rick answered, putting a hand behind Daryl's head and pulling him forward. With the crossbow still slung over his back, he took Rick in his mouth. 

Daryl's always had a bit of an oral fixation- biting his nails, sucking on his fingers after meals, cigarettes, toothpicks- and Rick knew it. 

Daryl moaned. 

"Knew you'd like that. Always wanting to stick things in that sweet mouth of yours." Rick said and groaned with pleasure. "Been thinking about you sucking my cock for weeks now." He paused to sigh with pleasure. "Goddamn- You feel a-fucking-mazing."

Rick's constant chatter and praise was an incredible turn on to Daryl. He swirled his tongue around and explored Rick's hardness with his mouth from the tip of the head to the bottom of his thick shaft.

Rick moaned again in pleasure. "Knew you'd be able to take the whole thing" he said with his one hand still grabbing into Daryl's mop of hair. 

Daryl had grown hard and slipped a hand down between his own legs. Rick reached down and knocked his hand away. "No- you had yours already."

Daryl groaned in disappointment but obeyed. Rick had kept his one hand tight in the hunters hair and used the other to hold Daryl's right wrist against the bench in case he even thought about trying for his own cock again, though Rick knew he wouldn't.

Both men were interrupted by a bump at the glass. A stray walker from outside clawed at the thick glass window in the back of the rest area. 

"Just one -a straggler. 's fine"  
Rick said pulling Daryl's head back to his crotch. The hunter hungrily went back to work with renewed vigor at the tightened grip Rick had in his hair. 

Rick watched the walker for a moment, dead eyes on them. Then looked down at Daryl to watch him "Faster". 

Daryl obeyed. 

Panting, Rick groaned "ah fuck yes. I'm gonna cum." And as he shot his load he ordered Daryl- "Swallow it."

And Daryl obeyed. He had a weird feeling of gratefulness at the privilege of being allowed to swallow Rick's hot seed. But the hardness trapped in his pants was becoming painful. 

Rick zipped up. "Let's get going." He stood. "You owe me two more before we take care of that" he said nodding to Daryl's crotch as he re-buckled his belt.

Daryl couldn't control the whimper that slipped out between his lips.

"Gotta learn... Don't like ya doing that w'thout me." Rick said and put a gentle hand over Daryl's bulging jeans just to be a bit of a literal dick-tease. 

"Let's get going." Rick headed to the door. And Daryl followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and critiques always welcome and cherished!


	3. Cold shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick continues to get off on his power over Daryl. Daryl continues to not get off.

Daryl was in agony. He had a hard on pretty much the entire rest of the trip and it came back again at dinner just from the way Rick eyed him.

Back in his cell he was in absolute misery. Tried pacing his cell. Push-ups. Opened up a book he swiped on a run that looked interesting. He stared at the first page for 20 minutes and didn't read a word.

He'd trusted, obeyed and followed Rick for three years now through everything. And old habits were hard to break. He had no interest in disobeying. Daryl knew he was just going to have to hold out til Rick allowed it. It's just the way it was. Way it's always been. Rick spoke and Daryl listened. He liked listening. Liked having someone he could trust and who led him in every way. 

But this not being able to touch himself was agony. It was two in the morning and he hadn't slept a wink. 

He thought maybe a cold shower would help. He grabbed his towel and headed down to the showers. 

Alone, he turned on the shower head in the corner and put it as cold as it could get. Let the water run over his face and hair and stood there til his whole body was wet and shivering. 

"Cold shower working?" Rick asked from the door.

Daryl turned, startled. "When the hell you learn to move around so quiet? Used ta stomp through the woods like a two-year-old throwin a tantrum just a few months ago! Now yer like a fuckin ninja."

Rick smiled. "Learned it from you actually. Gotta say it's comin in handy."

Daryl turned back towards the corner 'fore Rick could see his hard on coming back.

"Kinda wanted a shower myself". Rick said behind him. Daryl heard the leader stripping off his clothes. Went to the shower head right next to Daryl and turned the water on hot.

As he let the water run over his body, one hand pressed against the shower wall in front of him, he looked his hunter up and down. 

"Goddamn you're gorgeous all drippin wet." Rick said as he started stroking himself slowly. 

Daryl begged with his eyes to be allowed to at least help. Rick read his mind and shook his head no. "Nah, I got this one". 

Daryl was practically drooling as he watch Rick's long lean body, his hand on his hard cock.

Rick looked back over. "Wanna know what I'm thinkin about?"

"Yah"

"Thinkin bout you out back the other night. Down on all fours. Ass in the air waitin for me." He took his hand off his dick for a moment and reached over to cup Daryl's ass. Just for a moment and then went back to stroking. "In fact, the site of it is making me want to split you back open." Daryl took a step towards Rick. 

"Naw- can't yet, remember? Believe me- it's harder on me than it is on you."

Daryl didn't say a word. Couldn't speak.

"Sit down in the corner. I can't keep looking at that ass of yours. 'Sides you got goosebumps and yer prunin up. 

Daryl sat with his arms around his legs, hiding his hard on. Rick turned off his faucet, moved closer- under the shower head Daryl used- and turned it to hotter water. Daryl was right at his feet.

He kept stroking himself above the hunter. "Tell me how it felt when I was inside you." Rick said.

Daryl's mind was blank. He was almost in a trance gazing at Rick masterbating right over him. "Good" he murmured. 

"Christ Daryl, you can't even barely talk less I tell you exactly what to say. Tell me. How did it make you feel when I was pumping in and out of your hole?"

Daryl fidgeted, looked down at the floor but before he could speak Rick firmly said "look at me".

Daryl looked up. Watched some precum spill out of the slit of Rick's cock as the water from the shower washed it away.

"Answer." Rick demanded.

"Felt like you owned me. Like I was never gonna feel complete again 'less that cock was inside me."

"Ah fuck. That's perfect." Rick said going harder at himself. He threw his head back and grunted with pleasure. His load shot out hard and hit Daryl in a string that went from his forehead to his navel.

"Goddamn, I needed that." Rick said as he crouched down by Daryl. "Made a bit of a mess." 

Rick put a finger to the line of cum starting by Daryl's belly button. Scooped some up onto his finger and looked at Daryl with his eyes dark and sated, "open" he said. And Daryl opened his mouth. Rick slipped his finger in and allowed Daryl to suck the come off. He repeated it until he'd lifted the entire strand, bit by bit and fed it to his eager archer. 

"Don't waste anymore water. Gonna be a little sticky the rest of the day, but that'll probably help remind you not to play without permission. Rick stood and held a hand out to help Daryl up.

Rick dried and dressed. "Hope the shower helped. Go get some sleep."  
The leader left the shower room and his hunter followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How does this stuff get in my head?!


	4. Disappointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship begins to grow emotional as well as physical with Rick still in full control.

Daryl awoke with a start. He'd finally fallen asleep after Rick's torturous withholding in the shower room. His mind was foggy from the remnants of a dream. As he chased after it's lingering memory his eyes widened. He lifted off his bed and found a puddle of cum around his cock. He'd had a wet dream!

He didn't remember. Hadn't even woken up for it. Disobeyed Rick and didn't even get any pleasure. He slid out of bed onto his knees and started pulling the sheets off the bed. He froze. He didn't know what to do and was filled with worry. He would have to tell Rick. He would be so disappointed. 

Daryl had never disobeyed him under any circumstances. And now this, right as things were becoming so perfectly right. Still on his knees at his bed he ran a hand through his hair and tried to steady himself. His eyes burned from coming tears.

This time he heard Rick approach. Knew his footsteps and knew he would just walk right in. 

He heard the cell door and sheet and just couldn't move. Couldn't turn around.

"What happened here?" Rick asked in a detached voice.

Daryl winced. Turned to Rick and fell onto the floor sitting with hands still in his hair and face. 

"Look at me, Daryl"

Daryl dropped his arms to his side and looked up. He looked totally helpless and lost, eyes rimmed red with tears.

"I did it in my sleep. Didn't even wake up for it. I don't remember. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." His voice was shaking but he obeyed Rick and kept his stare. He noticed as it changed. He leaned over and looked at the twist of sheets and could see the puddle right in the middle. 

He looked back at Daryl's broken eyes.

"Why are you upset?" He asked

"I disappointed you." Daryl sobbed, a tear rolling down his cheek. 

Rick knelt down before his hunter, "Thats the right answer." And he pressed his lips to Daryl's for the first time. His kiss was soft and full. Affectionate. 

Daryl had never been with a man before, and only shared a few kisses that went nowhere with women. But never has he been kissed so gently and affectionately. 

"I know you didn't mean to do this." He said, pushing Daryl's hair back to see his eyes. "I don't want you to worry about disappointing me. It's not your job to worry. I worry. You just listen and obey. This isn't your fault. I understand that."

"I wanted to be so good for you. I don't want you to be mad"

"Daryl, are you afraid of me?"

He shook his head but didn't look up.

"Look at me." Daryl did. "You are mine, Daryl. I'm never gonna hurt what's mine. I don't want this kind of worry in you. You need to trust me. How do we fix that?"

"I dunno" Daryl answered

"That was a rhetorical question actually. It's my job to figure that out. You just need to do what I say. Isn't that easy enough?"

Daryl nodded his head. Rick wiped the tear drops from his cheeks. Kissed him gently. 

"I think you've suffered enough. Let me figure things out. I promise to give you some release today. Alright?"

Daryl nodded.

"I really like to hear your voice when you answer questions"

"Ok. Thank you." Daryl answered more appropriately.

"Good boy. " Rick petted his head and left.

\------

After lunch Daryl returned to his room to take a nap. He was so exhausted from the sexual tension of the evening and the emotional breakdown of the morning.

He hadn't seen Rick during any of his morning chores. And he was growing desperate for his attention and demands.

As if his thoughts drew Rick in, the leader appeared at his cell door, entered and shut the curtain for privacy.

Daryl sat up. Ready to do whatever he had to in order to erase the disappointment of the morning.

"Take your clothes of. All of them and stand in the middle if the room."

Without hesitation, eager to please, he did so.

He felt so exposed, physically and emotionally, as Rick circled him studying his body. From his wide shoulders, hardening cock, to the belt marks and burns on his back.

"Who did this?" He asked as he gently brushed his hands over Daryl's scared back.

"My Pa. Long time ago."

"He dead?"

"Yah. 'Fore the virus hit"

"Good. I'd rip his throat out with my bare hands if he wasn't. I protect what's mine." 

Rick walked around to the front wanting to memorize every bit of what was his. He noticed the razor blade scars along the insides of his thighs. 

"Who did this?" He asked getting to his knees and running the tip of his finger along each raised line.

"I did."

"Why?"

Daryl shrugged. 

"Daryl," Rick looked up from his knees. "Remember I like you to answer with your mouth."

"I did it."

"Why?"

He hesitated not even sure how to explain. "Sometimes hurting like that makes everything else better. Not better. Gone."

"When was the last time you did it?"

"Sophia" and he dragged his own finger along the freshest scar.

Rick nodded.

"Don't do this again."

"Ok"

"If it's too hard for you and you need it, you come to me and I'll do it. Ok?"

"Yes"

"I have a surprise for you. I jacked off a second time after we left the shower. Didn't think I still had a two-fer in me. But the though of you sitting obediently on the bathroom floor just to make me happy, sucking the cum off my fingertips....I couldn't help myself. So we're square now"

There was no question so Daryl didn't respond verbally but he did feel his cock twitch at the though of Rick jerking off to thoughts of him.

"Are you sad you didn't get to watch me do it?" Rick asked still on his knees before Daryl's naked frame.

"Yes"

"Now you know how I felt." Rick pouted.

"Yah"

Rick ran a finger along another of  
His razor scars. "Do you remember what each of these are from?

"Yes"

"Do they all make you sad?"

"Yes"

"I want to mark you. So you have one that makes you happy. Can I do that?"

"Yes, you can do whatever you want." 

Rick stood and kissed Daryl again on his beautiful mouth. "That's the right answer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally couldn't sleep last night because I was too worked up from reading so many great stories on this site. Wrote this at 3 am - very tired. Not sure about the direction I'm taking and probably has typos. I need to get off this site! It's an addiction!


	5. Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick finally brings Daryl to climax and marks him as his own.

Daryl was now fully erect. Rick still kneeling before him. As he stood, he ran his hands up Daryl's legs pausing his hands to grab and massage his lovers tight ass as they kept unspoken eye contact.

Rick turned away and grabbed the hunters knife from the nightstand. He climbed onto the bed with his back against the wall, legs spread and patted the space in the bed before him. "Come sit with me."

Daryl turned, sat onto the bed. 

"Against me" Rick said and Daryl backed up so that his back sunk into Rick's chest and he relaxed.

Rick put the knife on the bed and wrapped his lover with his arms, kissing his shoulders. 

Daryl's head dropped back onto Rick's shoulder. And Rick used a hand to trace his jawline.

With one hand twisted into Daryl's hair, Rick used the other to grab the hunter's hard cock and squeeze. Daryl moaned. 

Rick brought his hand to Daryl's mouth. "Lick" he instructed. And Daryl's sucked each finger and licked his palm. 

Then, slicked up, Rick grabbed Daryl's cock and stroked slowly. 

"Put your hand on mine and guide me. Show me how you like it."

Daryl did as told and moaned at the feeling of Rick's hand between his own and his cock. He moved up and down concentrating at various points on the tip. Daryl groaned, his mind spinning with the events of the last few days.

"Are you close?" Rick whispered?

"Yes"

Rick pulled his hand away and encouraged Daryl to keep stroking with his own hand. He brought his left hand to Daryl's mouth. "Lick" and he did. 

Rick gently knocked Daryl's hand off himself and started stroking him tightly with his left hand. With his right, he picked up the hunter's knife and held it to his chest, above one of the nipples.

"do you trust me?" Rick asked 

"Yes." Daryl breathed writhing greedily into Rick's hand.

Rick paid close attention to his hunters breaths and as he started to buck with orgasm, he lightly drew the knife over his chest deep enough to scar but not require stitches. 

"As Daryl felt the cut and the burst of cum simultaneously, he screamed out so loudly that anyone in the prison surely heard him. "Fuck, Rick, Jesus..ahhhhh... God" And more words spilled out as his body shook but by that time they were quieter and unintelligible.

Rick pushed Daryl forward a bit and pulled off his own white tshirt. Pulled Daryl's nude body back against his now bare chest and held the shirt over his cut. 

"Was that good?"

"Oh god yes" Daryl murmured. 

"This scar here will be the only one you ever think of again. Ok? This is my mark and it means that I own you, that you are mine and that I will always protect you."

"..yes. Ok". 

"You will never think about your other scars again ok?"

"Yes."

"I love the sound of your voice when you tell me yes." Rick murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok- I haven't slept in three days. I have to get these sexy fuckers out of my head for a t least a couple hours!
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts on direction and dynamics of any of my stories! Thanks!


	6. Offering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bad day at the prison that resulted in three lost lives, Rick becomes angry at himself and needs an outlet. Daryl offers himself to his leader and a spanking ensues.

In the following days, Rick and Daryl went on with life at the prison, Though both we're acutely aware that if anyone was inside the prison during Daryl's last orgasm, they knew for sure that the men are fucking. 

Since that last encounter, Rick noticed that Daryl would now go out in the yard on fence duty without a shirt. It was hot in Georgia. Most of the men would be shirtless in the heat, but before, Daryl had been too self-conscious of his scars. 

It thrilled Rick to see that he did have the power to psychologically remove those scars. And it made him hard to see Daryl walk towards him with the still-healing scar on his chest, pink and swollen. He loved having his mark on his property.  
............

Daryl felt like an enormous weight had been lifted, as if Rick was now in charge of carrying his burdens. He found it surprisingly easy to let go of his past. To give it all over to Rick. He went without his shirt and occasionally found himself grow hard when the breeze would make Rick's fresh cut on his chest tingle as it healed.  
............. 

The day the fence was breached by an onslaught of walkers was difficult on everyone, but Rick in particular. They'd lost three of their people that morning. All day was spent fixing and reenforcing the fence. Daryl dug the graves out back and the day ended with the group silently saying their goodbyes to the freshest three unmarked graves.

Daryl could tell Rick was angry. Knew he'd take the whole thing as a personal failure instead of what it was- just shit that's gonna happen in this world.

In the cafeteria, way after sunset, many of the group sat to eat for the first time all day. Rick disturbed the exhausted silence as he dropped his tray. Angry, clearly more at the day than the tray, Rick grabbed it and slammed it over and over into the corner of the serving counter. Everyone was familiar with Rick's occasional breakdown's and really, no one could blame him. But it did make them all tense up.

Daryl came up behind Rick and pulled the tray out of his hand. "Let's just go to bed, ok? Everyone's worked up here." He whispered.

Rick was enraged. He pushed Daryl away, immediately felt bad about it, and stormed off in the direction of his cell. 

Daryl felt everyone's eyes on him. "He'll be ok" he told the group and followed after his leader.

Rick paced in his cell. When Daryl walked in, Rick shot daggers at him. "You do not control ME. And certainly not in front of everyone." He spit out angrily. 

"I'm sorry." Daryl acquiesced. 

They just stared at each other.

Daryl continued "you can hit me." He paused as Rick's expression and body didn't react at all. "if you're angry and you need to take it out, I'm yours. You can take it out me. 'Stead of the trays and the cafeteria."

Rick leaned against the wall. Folded his arms, cocked his head. And waited to see how Daryl would continue.

The hunter unbuckled his belt, slipped it out of his belt loops, folded it in half and walked toward Rick, handing him the belt. 

Rick took it and threw it across the floor. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands. " I'm not yer pa, I'm your ... your... I don't know- master...owner...lover. You are my prized possession. The only thing I have in this world." His hands were still in fists. Angry. "It's my fault our three people are dead. Not yours."

"Wall breaking ain't on you Rick." Daryl said. "It's a wall. And shit happens in this world you can't control." 

Daryl paused realizing that he was standing over Rick. He kneeled submissively before him and continued. "I know you hate not bein able to control shit. But you control me and I'm here to be whatever you need. Take your aggression out on me. I'm offering myself. 'S not like pa. 'S different. Hell, it'll turn me on to know I'm helping you."

Rick was on fire. He felt like he was breaking in two. Part of him still wanting to put a fist through something and part of him completely enamored with the sight of his man kneeling before him. Offering himself. Knowing to get on his knees when he realized Rick had sat down. 

"Take what you need from me." Daryl said still kneeling, hands out by his sides, knees parted just slightly. 

Rick's eyes started to glaze over. Desperate to regain control of something, desperate to unload his anger. 

"Take your clothes off." He choked out.

Daryl stood without hesitance and removed everything. Knelt back before his leader waiting for his next instruction. 

"Ain't usin the belt" Rick said thickly.

Daryl didn't respond. There was no question. 

Rick pushed himself back on the bed. "Lay across my lap."

Daryl got into position, flat, face down, his ass lined up by Rick's thigh like a child ready for a beating. 

Rick gently rubbed Daryl's tight ass with his hand. "Thank you for this." Rick said quietly. 

"You can have anything you want." Daryl answered. 

Rick rested his head back against the cement block wall, still gently rubbing at Daryl's ass. His mind was filled with Daryl and the day. He admired his hunter's body stretched out before him. But when he closed his eyes he just saw his wall crumbling and thought of failing his people. 

He lifted his hand and spanked Daryl's ass with an open palm.  
His hunter didn't make a peep. 

Daryl was completely turned on by the sting because he knew it came from his leader's hand. He wanted more.

Rick spanked him again and again and he closed his eyes picturing every walker that got in, every one of them that he dispatched with his gun or his knife. He started drifting back to every one they'd lost, every human he'd had to kill to protect his family, every walker he'd seen since the hospital and before he knew it, he'd probably spanked Daryl at least a hundred times. 

Rick opened his eyes, out of breath, exhausted. And looked to see Daryl's ass a bright red with clear imprints of his hand.  
.................

Daryl's cock stirred at every hit. The sting was erotic and as the spanking got harder and wilder it turned from sting to pain and he relished that even more. He knew this was helping his leader. He was so happy to serve him like this. By the time it stopped his cock was rock hard and it made Daryl blush.  
...............

When Rick finally stopped he kept his eyes on Daryl's bright red ass. And rubbed his calloused hands on Daryl's back. "Thank you" Rick said. 

Daryl looked back to meet Rick's eyes. Looked at him through his messy bangs. "Thank you" he responded. 

"Don't think you're gonna be able to sleep on your back tonight." Rick said.

" 's ok"

Rick instructed Daryl with his eyes to get up and he did. He started to dress, getting ready to go back to his cell. "No." Rick said "stay with me tonight."

"Ok". Daryl said letting his pants drop back to the ground. 

Rick stood and undressed. Climbed into bed and patted the spot for Daryl. 

"Can you lay on your side? Or will it hurt?" Rick asked.

"I can lay however you want me." Daryl responded climbing into the bed.

"Mmmmmm.." Rick sighed clearly pleased with the answer.

The leader situated Daryl into bed so that Rick could spoon him. Rick's cock lay against Daryl's burning hot red ass. 

Rick nuzzled into the back of Daryl's neck. "Move your stuff into my cell tomorrow." Rick whispered as they fell asleep.

"Ok." Daryl answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I welcome all thoughts, comments and criticisms. Also- I'm still kinda new to this site. Can someone tell me what it means when people say something is "un-beta'd". Also - where can I find these meme prompts I see people talk about?


	7. Humiliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick wakes up alone and has to punish Daryl for his disobedience.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains dubious consent and public humiliation. As you will see in the comments, it had been a big point of discussion. Please be warned that this will be a difficult chapter to read. But I encourage everyone to stick with it, as this scene is the set-up for a more intimate exploration of the relationship of these two damaged men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this isn't going off the rails too much..

Rick woke up alone. He still felt the pressure and stress of the previous day's disaster.

He sat up confused. How could he be alone? He ordered Daryl to stay and he was gone. Rick was furious. He's been in such a flux lately between the joy of control with Daryl and the loss of control with the rest of the world. And now the one thing that was his, that he had control over, had abandoned him. 

He pulled on dirty jeans from the day before and marched over to Daryl's cell. It was empty. He eyed the room and noticed his towel was gone. The showers.

Rick heard the shower running before he opened the door. He slammed it shut.

Daryl's ass was still red, bruised and filled with hand prints. He turned and saw Rick. Could tell immediately he was in trouble.

"Rick. I hadn't showered after that whole day of grave digging and fighting for the wall- just woke up... Didn't want to wake you but God I needed a shower." Daryl knew he was babbling too much. He had clearly caused his leader immense distress. 

Rick stomped towards him, reaching for him under the shower. He twisted Daryl's arm behind his back and put him on the ground. An old move from the police academy. Daryl's face was pressed against the wet shower floor. He didn't fight Rick. Knew he deserved what was coming. 

"You don't shower without my permission. You don't eat without my permission, you don't so much as take a piss without my permission. THATS HOW THIS WORKS! Rick shouted, the spray from the shower soaking his jeans.

"Yes. Ok. I'm sorry."

"All you have to do is listen while I carry your burdens... So LISTEN! Do not ever leave my side like that again until I dismiss you. 

"Yes, sir" Daryl said. Not quite sure where the 'sir' came from. 

"Stay." Rick commanded and stood to peal off his wet jeans and turn off the shower. Daryl didn't move a muscle. 

"Get on all fours" he commanded. An Daryl did as instructed, arching his battered ass up to Rick like an offering.

Rick knelt beside him. "You know what you did wrong?". He asked

"Yes."

"I liked the 'yes sir"

"Yes, sir" Daryl responded obeying.

"I'm going to fuck you hard in the ass and it's going to hurt like a bitch because of how bad you are busted up down there. You think you deserve that?"

"Yes sir."

"Why?"

"I disobeyed you."

"Correct. You need to learn to listen."

Without warning Rick's teeth ripped into the back of Daryl's neck until he drew blood and tasted the heat of it on his tongue. Daryl didn't cry out. 

Rick spread his hand into the dripping blood and slicked himself up. "You get no fingers today. No prep because I didn't get any prep when I woke up alone. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes, sir."

"My goal here, Daryl. Is to fuck you until you cry." And suddenly Rick pressed into Daryl's unprepared hole and he screamed out on pain. Rick purposely slammed hard into his ass to press into the bruising from the night before.

Rick grabbed Daryl's hair and pulled his head back so he could put his mouth back onto the bleeding bite mark and he fed on Daryl's blood as he fucked him hard and fast.

Rick knew Daryl was in pain, but knew he liked it. "Tell me how it feels to be punished like this on the bathroom floor."

" I deserve it" Daryl answered.

" I know you fucking deserve it. I wanna know how it feels. You have relinquished all your power to me, I am in control. How does it feel to have no control?"

"I'm happy to submit to you. I feel joy."

Rick pulled out. "I want you humiliated right now. Not in ecstasy."

He grabbed Daryl by the neck and marched him naked out the shower door down the hall. It was still early, but a few early risers were at breakfast. Two men and one woman. Neither Daryl or Rick had really bothered to know all the new names. 

They all flushed and dropped jaws when Daryl was paraded into the cafeteria and bent over a table. Rick spit in his hand, slicked up and rammed right back into Daryl. 

Talking to the shocked breakfast crew he told them "just so you know.- Daryl is mine. He disobeyed me and is taking his punishment and since he is no one to anyone, he's happy to take it just to please me." Rick grabbed his hunters hair and forced him to look up at the others. "I can't imagine how humiliated you must be, everyone watching you be used as my toy. Apologize to me again in front of these good people so they understand why you deserved this."

"I'm sorry sir," Daryl sobbed. "I didn't listen to your command and I deserve your punishment." Rick could hear the tears in his voice. "And why do you have to listen to me?" Rick prodded.

"Because I'm yours."

"Because I own you right?"

"Yes sir"

"Because you are my toy, my pet, my possession, correct?"

"Yes sir."

Rick pulled out and shot his load over Daryl's back and hair.

"Go the fuck back to my room. No shower. You'll stay like this all day."

To the few in the cafeteria that hadn't moved. "Finish your breakfast and get to work."

Daryl waited obediently in Rick's room. He heard his leader in the cell next door packing Daryl's few clothes and possessions, and most certainly the crossbow. He came back with his arms full. Threw it all in the corner. "No hunting today. You stay in here. You stay covered on my cum and you sleep on the floor where you deserve. 

Rick turned to leave. "This is how this works, Daryl."

"Yes, sir"

"Will you be in this room when I get back from my busy day?"

"Yes sir."

"Why?"

"Because I love to obey you. And love to make you proud. I don't want to upset you again"

Rick knelt down and kissed him gently on the lips. "Yes. The punishment is not a joy for me. The control is. You will learn from your mistakes. I know you will." Rick kissed him gently again. "I can't breathe without knowing you belong to me."

"I belong to you. It's always been that way." Daryl said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... Too much with the humiliation? Too much of an angry Rick? What would you like to see next as this dynamic continues?


	8. Is this really how it works?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their unique relationship goes off the rails, both men must figure out what happened. Both need to decide if and how it can be salvaged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot express enough my gratitude for all the feedback, thoughts, concerns and criticisms from the last chapter. Your input was invaluable. My goal was to show that things went too far so I could loop around and give these guys an opportunity to really evaluate the relationship, but I went too far for many readers and had even been concerned about it myself before publishing. Despite the extent of the "going to far", the show must go on. So as intended, I'm using that incident to force the men to look inward in regards to the dynamics of this relationship. And force them to speak about it on a level, equal playing field.

Daryl lay naked on the floor of Rick's cell, the pleasant sting of Rick's handprints on his ass from the night before no longer lulling him into comfort. 

Instead he felt mortified, humiliated, hurt, and broken. His eye and the side of his faced that was pushed to the floor had started swelling up and turning an angry purple. He knew he had tearing and bleeding inside. He saw clear fingerprint bruises on his arm. And his eyes stung from tears.

He wanted so badly to please Rick but clearly didn't understand the rules. He wanted to love Rick and for Rick to love him, but this... This was more like his pa. Beatin him senseless in front of his friends and laughing. Making him feel worthless. 

Rick had been making him feel important and real and needed. And this morning he uttered those words... And in front of everyone- "he is no one to anyone". That was worse than any of the bruises or cuts.

Is that how it really was? Is Rick not the safety and security he thought? Is he just pa reincarnated? Daryl was now heaving with sobs. Tears pouring out of his good eye.

His heart was broken. He was so confused. He was afraid. Afraid now of Rick and he didn't want to be, and that made him weep harder, not caring if anyone heard.

After an hour or so, curled into a ball, no longer crying or feeling anything but empty, he heard a voice outside the cell.

"Daryl?"

He sat up and cringed as his ass touch the hard concrete. Backed up to lean against the wall so he could situate his ass in the least uncomfortable angle. He listened, but didn't feel like talking. 

"It's Tyrese."

More silence. 

"I know you're listening." He paused. "Karen was at breakfast this morning."

Daryl's head dropped and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"We all know you two been tight. Know y'all have a lot on your shoulders. Rick running this place. You providing for everyone."

Silence

"Yesterday was rough. It was a rough day on everyone."

Daryl could tell by the location of his voice, that Tyrese was probably sitting right on the other side of the privacy sheet.

"You don't have to say anything. Just wanted you to know.... Ya shouldn't feel bad about what happened this morning. I do think you maybe need to set some boundaries. I'm not gonna lie."

Tyrese could hear as Daryl shifted around trying to get comfortable. 

"I think Rick knows he's lost his shit again. Don't know if this will help or make it worse for you to know.... But he stormed outa here. Got half-way to the cars at the gate and just crumbled to the ground in tears."

Silence.

"Course, y'know- considering... None of us really wanted to be the one to go out and try to talk to him. Then he just got in one of the cars and left... Glenn's talking about going out to look for him, but we kinda voted that we should get your input on what to do."

"And you're here cause you drew the short straw." Daryl said

Tyrese sighed. "I'm here because there are three factions downstairs now. One that believes we leave Rick alone and not allow him back in the prison if he returns. One that believes we go after him and talk him through this ....psychological break. He's had 'em before and gotten through."

"And the third option?" Daryl asked.

"That's me, Bob and Karen. Bob was at breakfast too, by the way."

Daryl cringed. "And what do you think?"

"We convinced everyone that it's your decision. So I'm here to ask you what we should do."

Silence.

Neither of them moved or spoke for ten long minutes. Tyrese waiting patiently.

"Karen wanted me to make sure you know that you are very important to us. And not just because you provide and protect. Everyone here cares about you."

Daryl hated that Tyrese probably heard him stifle a sob at that. He stood up and dragged jeans up his bruised body. Put on one of Rick's tshirts instead of digging through his pile of crap in the corner. He grabbed his crossbow, knives, gun. And a back pack for provisions. 

When he pulled back the curtain, Tyrese was still sitting there Indian style. He just looked up.

"I'll go after him." Daryl said. Tyrese nodded. 

"You want one of us to come along?" Tyrese asked trying not to react to his bruised, battered face.

"No. Just me."

Tyrese stood and walked with the hunter out to the front of the prison where everyone sat.

He came out with Daryl and everyone stopped and stared. 

Tyrese tried to diffuse the tension "Daryl's gonna go look for him, ok?"

"Daryl, is that a good idea?" Glenn asked "I can come- or go myself". I've been with you guys a long time- seen him lose himself before. Sure it's not better if I handle it for you?" 

Glenn's offer was filled with sympathy. Daryl hated it.

"No. Just me. This.... This didn't happen because I can't defend myself. Believe me, I can fucking defend myself. Just... Things just got out of hand. And I need to handle it. He isn't a threat to anyone here. So you don't need to worry about that."

The group looked at Daryl like he was in charge. It was a weird, unfamiliar feeling. "I'm sorry to those of you at breakfast." 

"That's for Rick, Daryl. You don't need to apologize." Someone said.

"I do. I should have shut him down before it got that far, but I was kind of taken by surprise this morning. Didn't see it coming. Should have. Knew last night he was angry about the wall. Knew it wasn't gonna go away overnight. I know him better than anyone. I shoulda been prepared to stand firm to him."

No one responded. 

Daryl started walking down to the vehicle pool, trying his best to keep his gait as normal as possible even though every step caused pain.

\--------

Rick stormed out of the prison. Almost disappointed there was no one in the cafeteria to scream at. He needed to check further out on the perimiter. Needed to evaluate where the walkers were coming from. Needed to figure out of they should stop playing defense and hunt them before they encroach the gate. Needed to get more building supplies for the wall. His head swelled with "need to's"

Halfway to the cars his anger shifted and his legs gave out. Literally falling to his knees, he bent over and sobbed, his head filled with the image of Daryl naked and broken on the floor of his cell.

He'd totally lost control over the only thing he'd had control over. He didn't have Daryl by his side on this run because he abused him, humiliated him, said godawful things to him. Why did he do that? It wasn't Daryl's fault. It was Rick's. He wanted to punish himself, hurt himself, yell at himself. But he directed it all at Daryl. 

He pictured his beautiful hunter innocently showering this morning. God, what had he done? What has he done? Behind his eyes the memory flashed to Daryl pinned down in the shower, then in the cafeteria while Rick ranted like a maniac.

He sobbed in the yard for probably 20 minutes. He was certain eyes were on him and he prayed no one would get near. He had lost control of everything, including himself. He couldn't trust himself in this moment of anger and grief, disappointment. Humiliation. God what was he thinking. If anything, his ridiculous outrage at breakfast -breaking Daryl in front of the others - served more to humiliate Rick. 

He'd willingly take the humiliation and whatever the group determined should be done. But there was no way he could take away what he did to Daryl. His heart was aching. Was the damage irreparable? It had to be. He'd treated Daryl like... Like his piece of shit father. Daryl- who was the only breath of life left in him. How could he do such damage to someone he loved so much? Someone who understood his control issues and who was in synch with them. 

After he'd emptied himself of every tear he had left. He stood back up- threw a backpack of provisions in one of the Suv's and took off alone. Without Daryl at his side he felt empty and naked. Destroyed.

As he drove he shot at every straggling walker he saw with the gun he had fitted with a silencer. One less to end up at the fence. About twenty miles up the road Rick probably picked off a dozen. He pulled off the road trying to keep the SUV as out of sight as possible in the trees.

He grabbed the map. Another 10 miles or so and there should be a small town with a hardware store. Might already be emptied out but he had to check. He grabbed a bottle of water from his pack and guzzled the whole thing in one long swallow and got out of the vehicle to take a piss. He walked over to a nearby tree to empty his bladder and noticed deer tracks. Woulda never known what he was even looking at if it hadn't been for Daryl teaching him and a pang of regret and disgust at himself shot through his chest. 

He went back to the vehicle and grabbed the rifle. Maybe coming back with a kill could help him smooth things over with the camp. He knew he'd have to answer for himself. Wondered if they'd even let him back in. A year ago, if Rick would have been the witness instead of the perpetrator, he's fairly certain he'd have banished or killed the man. 

He softly stepped through the woods using every trick and tip Daryl had taught him. Then heard the sounds. Feasting walkers. As he peered around the tree silently he saw them. Maybe 8 or 10 gorging themselves on an enormous buck that was still kicking it's legs. 

Rick sat against the tree silently and watched. Jealous of the buck. For him it was over. Rick wanted it to be over. He took out his knife, not even sure if he'd put up a fight once they noticed him. 

He wanted to be gone like the now motionless buck. Wouldn't have to face anyone then. Maybe that was the solution. He stared at the knife running his finger around the blade. He heard Daryl's voice in his memory explaining the scars on his inner thighs. "Sometimes hurting like that makes everything else better. Not better. Gone."

He wanted to be gone. He unbuttoned his shirt and put the knife to his chest. Right where he marked Daryl. Sliced into himself and was not prepared for the sharp sting. He quietly gasped. 

The walkers all looked up at the same time. Fresh meet. Just waiting for them at the base of a tree. They would feast today. A buck as big as Rick has ever seen and a failed leader, who may even taste bitter and tainted to the dead. 

They all slowly stood, shuffling towards Rick as he sat, bleeding from the cut across his chest, knife resting in a limp hand and shotgun across his lap.

He rested his head back against the tree exposing his jugular like an offering on an alter. He heard them closing in. Eyes still shut.

Then the soft sound of an arrow sinking into skull. And another. 

"I taste better, mother fuckers. This way" Daryl shouted. Two more arrows and two more walkers dropped. Three or four left. Daryl pulled a bolt out of the closest one and shoved it into the next with his bare hands then pulled his knife and sunk it in skull after skull until the whole lot of them were fallen and silent.

Rick felt like he was dreaming. Daryl reached down for him and lifted him to his feet. He looked the fallen leader up and down, noting his empty eyes and the ragged cut above his chest. 

"Daryl.." Rick started to say but before he could get a second word out the hunter took his fist and knocked him unconscious. Rick dropped to the ground like a rock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next- After things went too far for both men's comfort, Daryl and Rick try to figure out how this strange and unique relationship between two broken men in a mad world should really work.
> 
> Thank you all for the feedback. I'd love to hear again from everyone who's reading to see if I'm accomplishing what I set out to do in repairing the relationship between Rick and Daryl. This chapter was introspective for both. Next is when they talk.


	9. Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl is still angry as Rick scrambles to understand himself and explain his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the encouragement and help in working past the difficult chapter in the cafeteria. Think I'm on a good path, but always hopeful for feedback and input that will help lead me in future chapters

When Rick regained consciousness, he was still laying by the tree. Daryl was walking around retrieving bolts out of skulls, kicking and cursing each collapsed walker as he did it.

Rick sat up and leaned back against the tree. 

Noticing movement from the corner of his eye, Daryl grabbed his crossbow and sat down in front of Rick with a fist full of dirty bolts and a handkerchief. Without looking up, he started picking at the tips and wiping them down. No words. Not even a glance. Just put himself down right in front of Rick ...but not quite in arms length.

For a while they said no words.

Rick watched the archer. The left side of his face bruised from the cheekbone all the way around to the top if his eye socket. Jesus Christ. What's he done?

Rick choked on a sob that drew Daryl's attention. The hunter kept his head down, but moved his eyes to look up at him while he continued to pick brains and skull pieces out of his weapons. Kept his eye contact.

"Your face." Rick said, his voice filled with regret and sorrow. 

"You should see he other guy" Daryl answered dryly. 

Rick realized he couldn't see out of one eye and reached up to feel a swollen tender mass across his right eyelid. It was gonna be a hell of a shiner.

"You shoulda let me go. Let 'em have me." Rick said quietly.

"So that's your answer to all this- Kill yourself??!!" Daryl shouted angrily. He looked down at the clotting cut across his left chest. "Cut yourself? what the fuck, Rick! That's not you!" He said disgusted.

"I just... I just ... Wanted it to be better- wanted to be gone.

Recognizing his own words, Daryl knelt up, dropped his bolts, reached forward and punched Rick in the chest, right on top of his cut. The wound gaped back opened and Rick reached over it gritting his teeth in pain.

Daryl just fell back into position. Sitting and picking at another arrow.

"Don't use my words against me." He said flatly. 

"I'm so sorry, Daryl. I don't know how I will ever be able to make you understand how sorry I am. I went too far.. I was angry at myself ... I.."

"Shut up, Rick." 

Daryl picked up a stone and started sharpening one of the arrows. 

They stayed quiet for a good half hour. 

"I let you have everything. Let you have too much I guess." Daryl said.

"Daryl- I can't breathe without you by my side. Thought I was gonna suffocate on the drive up here. You are the only thing I have to live for. I have to fix what I've done or I can't... I can't.. "

"Rick- I'm no one to anyone. Especially not to you. You made that clear."

Rick recognized the words. Remembered sayin 'em but thinking about himself. Rick was no one to anyone. That's what he'd meant. That's what he felt.

Daryl continued muttering. "Wouldn't fucking use the belt cause your so high and mighty- 'nothin like my pa.', right? Well, you sounded just like him. Fucking thought he came back from the damn grave."

"Jesus, Daryl.. I.."

"Well, you ain't like him. Your worse. Knew my daddy never wanted me, coulda cared less 'bout wether I lived or died.- his beatin's and torture and humiliation didn't matter. Knew he didn't give a fuck. Didn't love me." Daryl paused and his voice got quieter. "Thought you did. That's the difference and that made it a thousand times worse."

Daryl's words stung worse than his punches.

"I do love you, Daryl." Rick said without a second hesitation.

"Pffftt.. Yah. I can tell." Daryl said sarcastically. 

"Daryl- I know I'm fucked up. I know I got issues with the control stuff, but..."

"That's all I was. Cause I've ALWAYS been at your back- agreein' with every decision you make, following you like you was god himself. That's what you wanted. That's it."

"Fuck you, Daryl- you were there when our feelings started changing. You KNEW it. Knew I couldn't take my eyes off you, knew I wanted you by my side all the time. Knew I was the one findin' YOU at dinner,  
Scootin' close so we were always touchin. Always wantin you with me on runs. Takin a shift at the fences when it wasn't my turn just cause you were there and I wanted to hear your voice. Coming up for watch two hours early just to be able to sit there...."

Daryl stood, not wanting to hear any more, and walked back towards the vehicles. Rick stood and followed. "I can't control you walking away.., you aren't following me now....and I'm still completely in love with you."

These are words Daryl has never heard before. And he isn't sure whether to believe it or to punch Rick in the fuckin mouth for sayin 'em.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So where will this go? I have no idea! I'm winging each chapter as I go! Do you want to see roles change so that Daryl becomes the one with the power? Would you rather Daryl help Rick get back to himself- the confident (but now more tender) Dom? Should Rick return to camp completely depleted or should he return with the intent to still be in charge? Thoughts? Hopes? I'm listenin!


	10. We can't control everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Daryl encounter trouble on their way back to the car and are reminded of the harsh reality of the world they live in.

Rick pulled his shirt off to hold over his still dripping, self-inflicted chest wound as he followed closely behind Daryl. He felt even more naked since Daryl had taken his holster, guns and knife while he was unconscious.

Rick had meant every word he said to Daryl. He loved him. In a way he has never loved anyone before. In a way that maybe didn't even exist before the end of the world came. 

He'd never seen Daryl angry like this. Not at him. He was always angry at the rest of the world and most of the other people in it, but never at Rick. He had truly crossed a disastrous line. 

As they walked, Daryl made sure to stay slightly ahead of Rick. He wasn't ready to respond to any of his babble. Words that were probably nothing more than words. Just trying to 'get him in line again'. The sorrowful thing was that Daryl yearned to be able to go back to how it was. Just feeling good with each other and letting his leader carry the load. Just being ....Rick's.

Daryl heard the familiar sounds first as they were about 20 yards from where they'd left the vehicles. The moaning of the dead and then a sharp scream. A young one. A girl. Like Sophia. 

And nothing else mattered in the world to either man than immediate reaction. Daryl turned and threw Rick back his belt with the weapons all in place and they both took off in a run, neither feeling any of their bruises or cuts. As they ran, Rick dropped the bloody shirt, put on his belt buckle, pulled out a gun and checked it for ammo.

Daryl had unsheathed his knife, had it between his teeth, and fumbled to load his crossbow as he ran.

Once they hit the clearing they faced a small herd of walkers. Twenty maybe. A man of about 30 was fighting them off with a tire iron. The scream had come from a young blond girl that this stranger had managed to put on the roof of the SUV. She had no visible weapons on her.

Rick's trance was broken as he heard the familiar soft thwop of an arrow. Aiming his gun, Rick tried to go for the ones closest to the man and took his first shot.

As he moved in closer, several walkers turned from the vehicle and started towards the sound of Rick's gunfire.

Daryl caught the eyes of the girl and put a finger to his lips telling her not to scream, not to draw the walkers.

Rick shot another four and watched them drop before his clip was empty, then pulled his knife. 

Daryl came around to the other side of the car just in time to see a biter sink it's teeth into the man who quickly went to the ground. 

They made eye contact.

"Please take care of my daughter." The man pleaded. Daryl used his knife to end the attacking walker and looked at the stranger with sorrow. He was clearly bitten in the neck and had half of one arm pulled off. 

"Don't let her see me turn." And Daryl put a knife through his skull.

Looking back to Rick he could see he was being overrun, he'd emptied his gun and was using the knife backing up after each kill so the next in line would have to stumble over a body but they were starting to loop around to surround him.

Daryl rushed to him and started knifing skulls from the side of the herd, kicking at some to slow them.

He thought they were going to make it, only three or four more and Daryl heard the girl scream again. Two walkers had rounded back to the car and were reaching for her on the roof. 

Daryl flew onto the hood and climbed to the roof of the SUV as one of the walkers had her arm in his mouth. 

"NO!!!l" he shouted knifing it's skull. The other walker pulled at her unsteady feet taking a chunk out of her ankle in it's hungry mouth just as Rick came up behind it and put his blade through the back of it's head. 

As the walker dropped, it dragged the girl with it and she slipped from Daryl's hands. 

There was silence. No walkers near. Daryl jumped to the ground and knelt over the girl. Rick stood over him. The hunter inspected her. She'd been bitten- twice- and the fall from the top of the car caused enough damage that both men knew by sight she was already gone. 

Daryl couldn't move. He was reliving Sophia. At any moment the corpse before him would open her eyes and she'd be turned just like before. Just like Sophia.

Rick knelt down across from him, gently held her head, shielding her eyes from Daryl in case they were to open and softly pressed his knife through her brain.

Both men stood and surveyed the war zone. 

"To much trouble to get this vehicle over the bodies." Rick said "We abandon this one. Ride back in yours" and he nodded to the other SUV parked 30 feet away.

Daryl's eyes remained on the girl. Rick put a hand on the back of the archers neck and gently pulled him closer. With just their heads touching, and the dead girl between their feet keeping their bodies apart. Daryl stood still in that awkward quasi-embrace and Rick made no move to make more of it.

"We tried." Rick consoled. "Did everything we could. We can't save 'em all."

As they broke apart, Daryl started gathering his bolts. Rick brought the stranger and his daughter to the side of the road under the trees. The sun was setting and there was no time for a proper burial. But laying them side by side, seemed to give them some semblance of respect.

Daryl watched Rick arrange them as he finished collecting everything and threw his crossbow in the back of the vehicle.

Rick strode over and climbed into the drivers side. Daryl was glad for it. He really didn't feel like focusing on the road. Daryl slid in shotgun. Rick had barely put the car in gear when Daryl's head dropped to his chest with a soft sniffle of tears.

Rick pulled the emergency break, got out of the car and walked to the passenger side. He had a fleeting thought about the complication of this response after his recent behavior, but he reached in and pulled Daryl out. 

The hunter half-heartedly fought him, but Rick got him to his feet and wrapped his arms around him tightly. Hugging him while the devastated archer wept on his shoulder. He tried to console as best he could. His lips next to Daryl's ear whispering "We tried. We tried. We can't control everything." After the hunter's sobs subsided, Rick whispered "let's go home.", brushed his hair out if his eyes and kissed his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been so grateful for everyone's input and comments. Every message you leave helps reinvigorate my imagination and gives me great ideas on how to move forward. Hope to hear from folks again as I start to delve back into the complicated relationship between these two men.


	11. The gauntlet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Daryl return to the prison after a fierce walker battle. Rick answers to the group and awaits the decision on his fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a chapter that has to happen to be able to move on. Anyone who's here for the smut and porn, hang in there. I promise the new dynamic of a gentler D/s relationship is quickly approaching.

Ten miles out from the prison, after a slow drive with no words, Daryl said "You have some shit to deal with when we get back."

Rick nodded calmly. "I do"

"Whole group knows about breakfast. I had to face 'em already, but you are the one that needs to answer for it."

"Yah." Rick agreed. "If they even let me back in.." He smiled weakly.

"Well, some of 'em didn't want you back, just so you know."

"Understandable." Rick nodded "They gonna vote or something?"

"Already did. My call."

Rick grinned. "Your call, huh? Which way ya leanin?"

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Bringing ya home, ain't I?"

Rick smiled. Well, my shiner aughta at least show that you... Responded to my indiscretions"

"Indiscretions? Is that what people like you call it? Cause a lot of us think it's more like someone going completely stark raving mad."

They stayed silent for another minute or so.

"I miss Carol something fierce." Daryl said "Still hurts losing her to walkers last fall, but I'll tell you what- if she'd have been here, she would have gutted you while you were still inside me.... Without giving it a second thought."

"You're right about that. And at that moment I would not have fought her."

"Yah - guess not since you were basically trying to do the job yourself this afternoon."

"I'll face the group. Take what comes of it." Rick paused, thinking. "Gotta convince everyone that the walls need more work, and we need to go on offense. Go out in teams. Take out some of these small herds 'for they even get to the gates."

Daryl nodded. Pleased to see Rick in his element. Planning, leading, and he had to admit- taking control.

Rick continued "But mainly, once I get through the gauntlet in here. My main priority is to mend us."

Daryl's heart fluttered a bit. Still angry, still hurt, but still completely in love with Rick. Not that he'd EVER tell him. Rick could babble on all he wanted about love, but Daryl would hold that one card close. He won't give away everything again. 

Michonne was on gate duty as the sky was growing dark. When the men got out of the car, she looked them up and down. "You guys look like absolute shit."

"Yah" Rick said

"Don't suppose it was a walker gave you that shiner?" She asked.

"No. Got that very purposefully and much-deserved. Deserved worse actually." He answered.

"Yah." Michonne said flatly "Well, we left it to Daryl if you're to come back or not and here you are so I guess that's that."

Daryl nodded. "S'ok"

Looking down at Rick's clotted cut and Daryl's puffy pink healed one, both roughly in the same location, she said- "dya go out and get matching tattoos and shit?"

Neither answered. 

"Well, listen- we all get that the world is fucked up and all of us have had to... Adapt ... Change... Whatever. And I'm not here ta judge. You guys got a thing going on- whatever- but, keep the rest of the prison out of it, ok?"

Both nodded. "And Daryl- you need a safe word, dude."

"The fuck is that?" He asked.

"You two really have no idea what you're doing, do ya?"

"No, not really." Rick admitted.

"Daryl- come up with a clear word that can't be mistaken for anything other than STOP." She turned to Rick and continued. "I'm sure you don't want to hear it Rick, but there is no such thing as complete control."

"Understood. Thank you" Rick said.

They started walking up to the prison with Michonne trailing them. "Rick- just a warning- when you face the music in there- Maggie IS going to threaten to cut your dick off if you hurt Daryl. Just don't wantcha to be thrown off guard thinking the sweet little country girl ain't got a serious side."

Everyone was in the cafeteria. Dinner was over, but most were just curiously waiting to see what might be changing at the prison.

It was pin-dropping quiet as the men entered the room with Michonne behind them.

Rick stepped forward "I am truly sorry to those of you at breakfast and to everyone else who had to hear about it." Rick paused "Which i assume is everyone. I was not myself. I took advantage of my relationship with Daryl to take out misplaced anger that should have been directed at myself. I'm completely humiliated for losing my shit like that. I'm not asking anyone for forgiveness because I know what I did is unforgivable and it's something I'm going to have to live with."

"Daryl give you that shiner?" Maggie asked.

"Yes. Yes he did."

She smiled. Daryl backed up a bit shying away from the attention.

"I know some of you don't want me here. And I understand that. I also understand that the ultimate decision was given to Daryl to make. He brought me home. But if any of you want to check with him, make sure he's ok, please do. If you want to talk to me personally I will do my best to answer any questions. If you decide there should be another leader, I will accept that and step down." Rick paused and hesitated before giving the last option. "And if you decide you want me gone, I'll leave."

Rick waited for a response and got nothing.

"While we are waiting to see if you all want to.... Make any changes- I'd like to recommend that we put focus back on the wall. It needs to be better reinforced on all sides. And we can't keep playing defense. We have to go out in groups. Seek out and take down these small herds before they show up at our front door. And we need to be looking for other survivors. We know there are some bad ones out there... But there's still some innocent ones. We found some today. One was a child. Couldn't save them. We were overrun. We gotta try to do better than just survive. We have to become more self-sustaining- plant a garden stuff like that. We gotta plan like we are gonna be here for a long, long time."

No one spoke.

"I'll be in my cell if anyone wants to talk." As Rick started to back up, Maggie said "Rick- you hurt Daryl in any way and I'll cut your dick off myself." Michonne was right to warn him, because he was indeed taken aback by her directness.

Rick nodded in acceptance.

He walked up to his cell and Daryl started to follow. Half from habit and half from just plain wanting to follow.

"Daryl" Maggie called. "Come let me and Bob check your injuries ok?"

" 'm fine" he said. 

"Please?" Maggie asked in a way he couldn't say no to.

As he sat in the medical office, Maggie and Bob checked his face and other wounds for signs of infection. Gave him Tylenol. Knew he wouldn't drop his pants for a more thorough exam, but did admit to them that he had some pain down there and tearing and they gave him antibiotics and a salve to use.

After Bob left, Maggie stayed. "Daryl- is this really what you want?"

"What dya mean? Want Rick?"

"Yes"

"Yes" Daryl said without hesitation. 

"Why?"

"It's my business, Mags." and he started to walk out of the room. 

"So this is like one of those mutually agreed-upon submissive kind of things?"

"Yes." Daryl said. "We just haven't completely figured out all the rules yet I guess."

"Ok. Well, the worlds gone to hell, and whatever you need, you need. But i just want you to know that everyone in this prison loves you. And if you have this need to be under someone's thumb because it was ingrained into you since birth... It's ... ". Her words trailed away and she started again "just make sure you are putting yourself in a situation that you love to be in, not one that you feel like you deserve to be in. Does that make sense?"

Daryl nodded and walked out. Never in his whole life have so many people claimed to love and care about him. And all it took was the end of the world.

\---------

Rick's cell made him cringe. There was blood on the floor where Daryl probably laid for a while after the cafeteria incident. And the rest of the mess in front of him reminded him of storming into Daryl's room and throwing all his belongings into the corner of Rick's cell. 

He started to fold and carefully collect all of Daryl's things. They should go back to his room until they could work through things.

Rick had purposely kept his privacy curtain pulled back and cell door wide open so everyone would know he was accessible. 

He heard footsteps and steeled himself for a most-likely unpleasant conversation. 

Tyrese and Glenn came around the corner. 

"Hey" Glen said.

"Hey". Rick answered and sat down in a folding chair offering his bed for his two guests to sit. They did.

"Glad your back." Glenn said.

"Glad your glad." Rick answered.

Glenn leaned forward "we've all talked. Course you're welcome back. You've convinced most of 'em that nothing like that will happen again. But we think it might be better to operate more as a ...council..."

Tyrese jumped in "Group decisions, y'know? Instead of putting all the weight on one man."

Rick nodded. "Would I be able to serve on that council?"

Glenn nodded. "You, me, Tyrese, Michonne, and Daryl."

Rick could see they were essentially trying to level things out between he and Daryl. And trying to take the pressure off Rick. 

Rick nodded. "Sounds fair."

As they stood to leave Tyrese looked back. "You know, I'm sorry, but I gotta ask- cause I like Daryl and lot of us don't want to see him hurt. What exactly are your intentions with him?"

Rick leaned forward with his forearms on his legs and his serious piercing blue eyes and looked directly at Tyrese to answer. "I know it doesn't seem it at the moment. But I'm completely in love with him and every waking minute I'm not working to keep this prison goin', I'll be working to get him back and make him happy. He deserves some happiness." Rick felt his voice get a little shaky at his last sentence.

Tyrese nodded. "I believe you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always- your comments feed my imagination. Please let me know how you hope to see things start shaking out. I need to get them back in each others arms... And I haven't quite figured out how to do that yet!


	12. Ground Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys sit down and talk it out. How will this relationship work?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to wait til this was longer to post- wanted to get to the first post-incident smut. I got close, but still have a lot of thinking to do on how to play it out. So I'm just going to go ahead and post this for now.

Daryl showered in the small bathroom by the medical center before he walked back up to his cell. He passed Glenn and Tyrese on his way up. He smiled and nodded at them and Tyrese put a friendly hand on his shoulder and smiled as they went by. 

"Glad you guys are both here and working things out." He said.

He walked into his cell and saw that Rick had folded and packed his things and put them back on his bed. Before he walked in he noticed that Rick's door was shut and his sheet was pulled down for privacy.

Daryl closed his cell and curtain too. Put his clothes over on a box he'd been using as a table. He laid on the bed keeping to his side, trying to keep pressure off his ass and started picking through the shoebox of stuff that was his. An arrowhead necklace. 1/2 pack of smokes, couple lighters, leather gloves, couple boxes of ammo for his gun and a small folded sheet of paper that was starting to yellow from age. He opened it up and stared at it. A crayon drawing of a flower, an out-of-proportion sun, a little girl and an archer with a bow and arrow. At the bottom it said "To Daryl, From Sophia".

He touched the the girl in the picture and wished he'd had some tears left after the long day, but he was completely dry.

\------

Rick came back to his cell after a shower that washed away plenty of blood, guts and dirt, but there wasn't enough soap to clean him of the way he treated Daryl.

He'd already apologized and groveled as best he could. He told Daryl he loved him. And he meant it, he feels it in every fiber of his being. 

He's lonely in his cell. And he wants Daryl so bad. He absently slid his finger across his chest along the cut from earlier.

He couldn't stand the thought of being so close to those lips and that chest and those eyes and not being able to touch or see him. 

He wandered out of his cell and aimlessly paced the floor for a while in just his sweatpants. Then stood in front of Daryl's and listened. If he was sleeping he didn't want to disturb him. He sat down in front Daryl's door and just waited, listening. After a while he heard the sound of paper folding. Knew he was probably looking at that picture Sophia had given him. 

"Daryl." Rick said softly. He heard Daryl's body get up from the bed. Heard him shift uncomfortably on the floor in front of him. So damn close. 

When Daryl didn't respond. Rick spoke again- "I need you."

He waited hoping to hear anything back. Just to hear his voice.

"I don't feel like bein alone tonight" Daryl said softly sounding almost like a child.

Relief rushed through Rick's body.  
"Open your door." He encouraged unable to control his controlling. 

Rick heard movement and the curtain pulled back. Daryl stood over him in nothing but boxers, the bars of the cell door still dividing them. Rick stood up, just slightly taller than the hunter. He grabbed onto the bars with both hands and just filled his eyes with the sight of Daryl. "You're gorgeous". Rick said as if it had been weeks instead of hours since they'd last seen each other.

When Daryl still didn't reply, he locked his blown pupils on him and whispered pleadingly "open your door for me".

Daryl pulled it open without moving, using the hand that was already on the bar, intending the whole time to do it. 

Rick walked forward, took the hunter's battered face In his hands and kissed him like he'd been suffocating and this was his first breath of air before dying. 

Rick softly held Daryl's neck as he devoured him with desperate kisses. Daryl felt like he was on fire. The hand prints on his ass tingling again in a good way. His chest thumping, his lips were home and the warmth of Rick's hands on his neck made him want to just sink to the floor. He put his hands on Rick's thighs, just barely touching them.

"Can I lay down with you?" Rick asked.

Daryl pulled back. "Now I feel like your acting like a complete smart ass" He folded his arms in a protective posture and backed away. 

"Oh God- What did I do wrong?" Rick asked alarmed, worry spilling out of his eyes.

"Ain't sposed to work like this. Don't ask if you can lay down with me. That's ....fuckin stupid. That's not what we have... Or want."

"What do we have?"

"I don't fucking know. What do i know? I just learned what a goddamn safe word is from a samurai I didn't know until two years ago and I'm suddenly fucking a man. What are you asking ME questions for!?"

Rick couldn't help but chuckle and tried unsuccessfully to hide it. 

"Oh please," Daryl continued. "You clearly don't know what the fuck you're doing either."

Rick just smiled and shook his head. "I don't. No." 

Both men, in their old habit of speaking with their eyes and nods, made the decision to sit on the floor. 

Indian-style in front of each other, Rick asked genuinely curious "what do YOU want?" 

"I don't know. Like it was just getting to be before the cafeteria.  
I like it nice though. When you, like, tell me what to do and stuff. And your eyes get all intense and dark and sexy. And I can tell by your voice how badly you want what you're demandin'. And saying nice things when I'm doing things right that you wanted. I don't like when your mean." He sounded like a beautiful innocent child.

Rick was paying close attention. 

Daryl continued "I liked that you take the burdens and I just listen. And I ...I mean I don't want a fractured skull or anything, but I do kinda like when your a LITTLE rough... Like manhandling me a bit, not fucking me unpreped."

Rick nodded as if he was memorizing every word.

"Ok. You have to pick a safe word. In case I get carried away."

"Yah. I'll think a somethin'" Daryl responded. "What do YOU want."

Rick leaned back against the wall pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. It was such a complicated question and it was going to be an even more complicated answer.

"You mostly. However I can have you. But I can't deny that I like... I don't know.... I like having you do what I say. The control ...It ... does turn me on. I think that part makes me a selfish bastard. But it also turns me on to see YOU so fucking turned on. And I like the thought of you being all mine."

"Who's else would I be? I AM all yours." Daryl said 

Rick beamed. "So those are kinda the ground rules then?

"And no hitting me unless I offer myself to you like the other night."

Rick nodded. His eyes were starting to glaze over, getting turned on at the words 'offer myself to you' from Daryl's soft sexy voice. 

"You need to come up with a safe word now cause I'm feeling a little demandy." Rick warned

"How about douche bag," Daryl joked and kicked at Rick's knee. "You know my ass is gonna be completely out of commission for days." 

"There's plenty more to you than just your ass." Rick said. "Safe word..,"

Daryl thought. "Breakfast". 

Rick winced. The sharp memory stung and he was certain that word would stop him in his tracks. "Yah, got it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok- so I still have to figure out how to have Rick Dom with Daryl still kinda busted up. Got some thoughts for this first encounter, then I may have to fast forward to get to some more exciting smut. At least fast forward to where Daryl's ass is healed!
> 
> Added note: I need to thank pharmtechgirl71 who commented on the last chapter and gave the inspiration for Daryl to joke about using the word "douche bag" as a safe word!


	13. Dom on damage control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally- back to some smut!

Rick stood. "Take off my pants." Daryl knelt and tugged the sweatpants down to the ground slipping each foot out as Rick lifted them. 

"Boxers" Rick said. And Daryl wiggled out of them. "Lay down" Rick commanded using his hands to place the hunter right where he wanted him, on his side facing Rick as they lay.

Rick ran a finger over Daryl's slightly parted lips. "You are so fucking beautiful - laying there naked, your pupils so big, just waiting for me." Rick brushed his bangs out of his face. Kissed him gently on the lips. 

Rick put his finger back to Daryl's lips, tracing them. "Open. I want to watch you suck on my finger."  
Daryl opened and the leader slid his index finger in. Daryl swirled his tongue and sucked greedily. "I know you love having something in your mouth" Rick whispered and Daryl groaned in agreement. 

Rick was surprised at how hard he was getting just watching Daryl's face as he sucked on a finger. His eyelashes fluttering shut, his beautiful face so serene. Rick wished he could see what Daryl was thinking about behind those eyelids.

"Do you still trust me?" Rick asked his voice growing deeper than normal from the turn-on. He pulled his finger out so Daryl could answer. 

"Yes."

"Lay on your stomach." Rick beamed at how quickly his hunter obeyed. 

Rick leaned up on one arm and kissed the back of Daryl's neck, ran his hand gently up and down his back. He didn't even see the scars his father left as scars anymore. It was just Daryl and every inch of him was perfect. 

Daryl sighed softly at the attention.

Rick sat up and looked down a Daryl's ass. Still red from his offer with hand print bruises. Rick touched as carefully as he could, cupping the hunters ass gently and running his hand, barely touching over both cheeks.

Daryl groaned in pleasure. The soft sweet touch to his battered behind made the bruising tingle again in a way that crept around to his front and made his already growing erection completely hard.

"Turn over and lay on your back. Be careful". Rick instructed. And Daryl obeyed. The discomfort from having pressure on his ass actually was a good pain by this point in his aroused state. He stared up at Rick so happy to be his again. And to be looking up at him. Locking on to his blue eyes as everything else in the world just disappeared.

Rick put his hand back through Daryl's hair, pushing it out of his eyes and then slowly ran his hand down his face, pausing at his neck, thumb on one side and fingers on the other. Then gently rubbed Daryl's neck like that, enjoying the site of his hand on his hunters throat. His hand continued down his chest, stopping to trace the mark Rick had made, stopping at each nipple and then sucking and licking at them while Daryl squirmed and moaned. 

He took his lover's hand and moved it to rest over Daryl's own hard on. 

Rick looked Daryl in the eyes. "I wanna watch you get yourself off" and, Rick's hand over Daryl's, he started to encourage him to stroke then pulled away.

Daryl didn't speak just kept eye contact and did as instructed. Rick moved his eyes down the hunters body again slowly to watch him, study how he handled his own cock. 

Rick kneeled over Daryl grabbed onto his hard on and matched Daryl's pace. Slowed when he slowed. Sped up when he sped up.

Daryl's eyes slid down to watch Rick stroking himself and he could feel his orgasm coming. He looked back to Rick's eyes communicating silently that he was so so close.

Rick read the desperation in his eyes and said "Cum, Daryl" and Daryl immediately shot out all over his chest and stomach. Nearly instantly Rick also came on the hunter's chest as he was blown over the edge from the sight before him and the way Daryl came on command. Daryl's chest and stomach were a twisted road map of thick white ejaculate from both of them.

Both panting, Rick laid back down on his side, with one arm propping his head up. He gazed up and down Daryl. Put a finger on his stomach and started swirling around their mix of cum, drawing circles all along his torso with it. He sucked it off his finger, then leaned in and licked a puddle of it off of Daryl's stomach, kept it in his mouth and leaned in to kiss his hunter, sharing it. Daryl sucked at his leader's tongue eager for the taste of them together.

Rick broke away, slowly stood and pulled on his sweats. He eyed Daryl, who was still dazed in the afterglow. He pointed a finger at him and whispered. "Stay. Wait. Ok?"

"Ok"

Rick grabbed a face cloth from the pile of Daryl's folded belongings and walked out of the room. When he returned with a the rag dampened, Daryl hadn't moved a muscle. But his eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell in the slow steady pace of sleep.

Rick sat on the edge of the bed and started cleaning his lover off.

Daryl woke with a start.."I'm sorry." He said. 

" 's ok" Rick whispered. He finished cleaning him. Tossed the dirtied towel to the corner of the cell and climbed over Daryl moving him to his side and slipping in behind him to spoon. "Go to sleep, love. It's been a long day." He kissed Daryl on the neck and watched his breathing until he was asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may need to take a few days off this fic. I have two other stories out there left hanging and had a request to post new chapters there. My two other stories have been neglected long enough. Gotta pop over there and do a little work. If anyone reading this one likes any kind of rickyl- that's what my other fics are too. Don't worry- I'll be back here again to update soon!
> 
> As always - thank you all for your comments, critiques and inspiration!


	14. The Rooftop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a week. Daryl is physically healed and both men are eager to continue exploring the relationship.

It had been a week since the wall broke and the prison started a new process. Teams of four went out on a daily basis killing off straggling walkers and small herds, keeping an eye out for the living. Glenn and Michonne had gone on a successful run and came back with a truckload of building supplies to reinforce the wall. Others were working on creating a garden.

All decisions were made by the council that Daryl actually served on. Rick had commanded him to freely speak his mind at council meetings and there wouldn't be any repercussions after. He wanted the prison to see Daryl as his own man and downplay his obedience. 

They still kept separate cells, but slept together in one or the other every night. Their physical encounters hadn't been terribly aggressive. Rick had been taking special care to allow Daryl to heal. 

Daryl had been in heaven. Things had become exactly as he wanted them. He felt no stress or worry, he worked during the day, more often than not side-by-side with Rick. Sometimes a simple work related request like "give me the hammer" was delivered in that dominant tone and shivers would go down Daryl's spine just thinking of that tone and that voice and how it's used back in their cells. Each night he would submit to Rick's simpler desires. However, he was eager for things to become slightly more aggressive again now that he was healing.

They'd fallen fast asleep on this 7th day after the incident, both exhausted from hard physical work on a long stretch of the wall.

They started sleeping, per Rick's command, so that the leader lay on his back and his hunter curled into him with his head on his chest. 

Rick woke at some odd hour of the night with an erection. They'd shifted a bit in their sleep and Daryl had slid back slightly so that his head was in the crook of Rick's outstretched arm. Rick watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. Marveled over his beautiful innocent face. The bruise along the left side finally gone. His face was slack from sleep, eyelids delicately closed with a slow roll behind them from a dream and the sight of it made his heart swell. He was his. Daryl wanted everything to be exactly like Rick wanted it.

He took his index finger and gently touched his lover, slowly tracing his finger along his collarbone. Daryl's eyes blinked open at his touch. "Close your eyes. Rest." Rick instructed. The hunter did as he was told.

Rick dragged his finger over Daryl's collar bone again, watching his face relax. He ran his hand over each of those broad shoulders. He leaned in and kissed his hunter as he brought his hand down to his taught stomach. Daryl delicately returned the kiss making sure that was the response Rick wanted and by his movements he could tell it was. Rick's hands went into Daryl's hair as the leader positioned his body over Daryl's, both were hard against each other. Daryl started to squirm to get some friction against his swollen cock. "No" Rick murmured. And Daryl stopped, just focusing on the kisses. But his cock throbbed between them. 

Rick suddenly rolled off and pulled on a pair of jeans. Threw a pair at Daryl. "Get dressed". Daryl did. Rick walked out of the cell without commanding Daryl to follow because that part was unspoken and clear. 

Daryl always followed without asking questions because he was so obedient and quiet by nature. Rick would often demand answers and comments from him during their encounters and the hunters voice alone would be near enough to make Rick explode.

Rick climbed a ladder to the roof and Daryl followed. The stars were out and the summer night was warm. 

"I don't want you to have to stifle your moans worrying about being heard. Were at the furthest end of the building up here. Wanna hear you tonight ok?"

"Ok" Daryl said with his soft infrequently used voice.

"Take your clothes back off and lay on your back" Rick gently demanded.

Daryl did and put his arms behind his head as he lay for some comfort against the hard cement roof. 

He looked too confident and cocky that way. "Arms by your sides" Rick said breathlessly.

Daryl obeyed. Rick stayed dressed and sat with his knees pull together and his arms wrapped around them. Sometimes he liked to stay dressed and have Daryl displayed naked before him. He knew his hunter was eager for the next command and for that reason, he wanted to wait, and to make him wait. 

Daryl kept his eyes trained on Rick's. He felt so exposed, his cock hard against his stomach, not even allowed to close his eyes to hide. He'd been getting progressively more eager to have Rick back inside him. And since they still could communicate with unspoken glances, he knew Rick was aware of this.

Rick just grinned at Daryl's obvious impatience. "Tell me what you hope is going to happen up here." Rick said.

He knew to be patient because his hunter was not good with words. To give him time, he stood, motioned for Daryl to move his legs apart and Rick sat right between them, his head tilted right above Daryl's cock waiting for an answer. He used his hands to nudge Daryl's legs out and back more leaving his ass and his erection completely open and available.

Daryl knew he had to answer but didn't know what to say, he opened his mouth before he thought through his words and tried to remember that sometimes it was best not to think, just to answer. "I'm hoping that you'll fuck me."

"Why?"

"Haven't had it in a while?"

"Why do you want it so bad?"

Daryl almost let his words slip out. At the quickened pace of their banter he almost answered "because I love you." But he caught himself. Rick said stuff like that. But Daryl still didn't want to give everything away again. He had to hold onto something. Instead he answered, "it makes me feel like I'm yours and I belong to you." 

Rick smiled. He still didn't make a move. Just looked at the sight before him. His hunter naked and spread eagle on the roof awaiting his next command. 

Rick playfully dragged his fingers along Daryl's pelvic bone, down through his his inner thighs, traced underneath his balls and back up to the other pelvic bone. "I like to have you open and naked before me like this. Just waiting." Daryl's cock twitched.

"How many lovers have you had, Daryl?" 

"Told ya I ain't never been with men before." Daryl said in his sexy quiet voice.

"Didn't ask that." Rick said.

Daryl felt so vulnerable. Spread naked before his leader, almost leaking the words he's trying to keep to himself, and now the intimate questions that he was embarrassed to have to answer. 

"None."

Rick's eyebrows went up.

"Really?"

"No one ever wanted me before." Daryl said quietly. 

"I want you." Rick said.

"Then take me." Daryl squirmed. 

Rick stood and dropped his pants, kicking them aside enjoying the warm night air on his skin. So much better than being stuck in the cells.

Daryl spoke through his eyes and a slight twist of his body asking if he should get on all fours.

"Stay right where you are. I want to see you." Rick knelt down between the hunters open legs and yanked down on his thighs a bit to tilt his ass up so it was more accessible. 

He reached an index finger up to Daryl's mouth and he greedily sucked on it without having to be told.

"Relax" Rick commanded. "Haven't been in here in a while."

"Ok" Daryl sighed. Rick leaned down and licked Daryl's cock once from the base to the tip. First time he he's done that and he got the exact reaction he wanted Daryl groaning loudly at the unexpected sensation. Rick then ran his finger down his shaft and around to the back along his pucker, massaging it a bit before he started to slip in. 

"I want to hear you tell me how this feels. In detail. Want to here your voice" Rick commanded and slowly pressed inside circling the tight hole with his finger.

After a guttural moan and baring down against Rick's hand, Daryl said breathlessly "feels like you are in control.... of the only thing good in this world...the only thing that feels good....the only thing I want....the only thing I think about"

Rick grinned, hardening quickly at his voice and the perfect words spilling from his mouth. "I'm the only thing you think about?"

"Yes"  
Daryl panted. 

"You worked on that wall all day, you thinking about me that whole time?"

"Yes"

Rick loved the way the word 'yes' sounded on Daryl's tongue.

"Thinking of what exactly?" He asked as he widened Daryl with his fingers and pressed into the magic spot. 

Daryl groaned loudly.

"Bein' on my knees, suckin' your cock." Daryl breathed and moaned loudly.

"How could you get your work done?"

"I can do it. Just have the constant images playing in the back of my head all the time." 

Rick withdrew his finger and spit into his hand. "Do you want me to fuck you now?"

"God, yes" Daryl panted.

Rick slowly entered Daryl as he writhed and pushed back into him. As he pushed all the way in, Rick watched his hunter's head roll back, eyes squeezed shut, mouth open and panting. "Look at me."

Daryl obeyed.

"I want you to watch me fucking you."

Daryl's pupils were blown. His hips moved in tandem with Rick's thrust. 

"Do you want to touch your cock?"

"Yes"

"Ask me"

Daryl groaned and whispered "Can I please touch myself?"

"Yes" Rick answered. 

Rick slowed down his thrusts as Daryl started stroking himself. The leader knew his hunter was craving the faster pace and the orgasm that was closing in on him.

"Do you want me to go faster, Daryl?"

"Yes" Daryl yelled out as his hand stroked his cock frantically. 

"All you have to do is ask"

"Fuck me faster, Rick. Harder. Please. God." Daryl's pleas fell from his lips.

The leader felt himself ready to go over the edge at the sounds of Daryl saying his name. Begging him to fuck him. "Cum with me Daryl." Rick cried pumping harder, aleady teetering into his orgasm. 

Daryl let out an animalistic cry and the cum shot so hard out of his slit that it hit Rick's chest as he hovered above breathing through his last aftershocks. 

Rick rolled off onto his back. With a quiet laugh he said "I've been hit"

Daryl leaned up on an arm and offered "I can clean you off."

"I'd like that" Rick answered. 

Daryl leaned over and licked his chest and belly clean. 

Rick felt like he was a kitten being groomed by it's mother. Daryl's long, hot tongue roughly wiping and licking him clean. 

Rick stood and motioned for Daryl to do the same. They dressed and returns to Rick's cell.

Daryl curled against him, putting a head on his chest. Rick petted him, running fingers through his hair. "I love you, Daryl. Rick whispered softly. Daryl heard and was almost ready to believe it was true. But he didn't reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to use my end notes to recommend some reading material while you all wait for the next chapter. I just finished an incredibly long, well-written fic on this site by Lost in Wonder called "take comfort where you can". It's a Sharyl slash and though I usually prefer Rickyl- I have to say- this was an amazing story. The author stayed close enough to cannon that I feel like I want to rewatch season one just to pretend all the Shane/Daryl action was actually happening in the background. This author's ability to get into both Shane and Daryl minds is amazing. Shane's antics become more understandable. And Daryl- my god, that poor submissive, redneck so filled with self-hatred and self-doubt. I could go on- but it's better if you just go read it!


	15. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl waits as Rick's group is terribly late coming back from a search.

Daryl and Axel were on hunting duty for the day and Daryl couldn't have been more please to see that Axel had some tracking skills and with a little instruction was able to help him field dress the buck Daryl bagged. It felt foreign after the past months for him to be the one giving orders to anyone. But the men worked well together and dragged their haul back to the prison by noon.

Rick was out on a 'Clear' today, what the prison referred to as the groups of four sent daily to scout ahead for incoming herds, dispatch them when possible and keep an eye out for other survivors.

Despite Rick's absence, he was behind Daryl's eyes all day. The hunter had awoken first that morning. Usually it was the other way around, so he had the rare opportunity to watch Rick as he slept. He felt like a peeping tom watching him. He didn't have permission, but Rick wasn't awake to ask for it. He'd started believing in Rick again. Believing that he truly cared about Daryl beyond the sexual dynamic they both shared and craved. Daryl didn't touch. But kept his soft sleepy eyes on Rick. Messy slept-on curls framing his face, his sexy stubbly beard. His strong, broad, bare chest. Seeing him with his eyes closed made him seem so innocent and Daryl hated to think of it like this, but even submissive, having no control over the need for sleep. 

After the hunting trip and some work on the wall, Daryl shoveled dinner in with his bare hands, as usual. He was a little disappointed to be eating without Rick's eyes on him. His leader would always glaze over as he watched Daryl lick his fingers clean at meals and that gave Daryl a tiny little feel of power in their dynamic.

After dinner and some discussion with Glenn on the progress of the wall, Daryl decided to grab a shower. By this point the sun was setting more that it normally was when a clear team would return. Daryl's stomach was in knots with worry, but he tried to man-up and just proceed with the day. 

The shower made him come undone. As he stood under the faucet, worry now really seeping through his skin, he just kept seeing Rick there from the good incidents in the shower and even the bad one. Crouched in the corner as Rick delicately fed him his seed, and face down on the floor with Rick above him and angry. And he found himself craving them. Both. Either. Anything... just so long as Rick was there. He wept with worry.

As he toweled off and dressed, He tried to tell himself they'd probably be back and recapping the day in the cafeteria at that very moment, but he passed Tyrese in the hall and tried to act casual- "Clear team back yet?" He asked. 

Tyrese shook his head no. 

Daryl found himself wandering aimlessly until he ended up sitting in the empty cafeteria in the exact spot that Rick had dry fucked him in public. He sat, feet on the chair in front of him, elbows on his legs, gnawing on a thumbnail, one foot bouncing anxiously.

Maggie came in through the front doors and he could see the setting sun behind her. She was covered with dirt and still had her gloves on, clearly having been on garden duty today.

As she tugged off her gloves she noticed Daryl. She walked over and hopped onto the table next to him. "You ok?"

He just nodded his head. She wasn't Rick, he didn't have to answer with words and he didn't feel like it. 

"Clear team ain't back yet." She said, realizing suddenly what must be on his mind.

Daryl nodded again, staring into space as he did, still tapping a foot and chewing a nail.

"Who was with him today?"

Daryl answered "It was Rick, T-dog, Sasha and Michone."

"Strong team." She said and when Daryl didn't reply with anything she continued as she put her hand on his nervously bouncing knee. "I know how ya feel. Get that way when Glenn is out. Usually just try to stay busy. But I know there's nothing I can say that's gonna take that worry away."

"Then why are you talkin, Mags?" Daryl said with a hint of lightness in his voice. 

"Daryl Dixon. Are you trying to make a joke?"

She nudged him with her shoulder and smiled.

"Still some light left. They'll be back. All we gotta do is wait." She said. 

They stayed silent a moment. Maggie had really grown on Daryl and he was beginning to believe that maybe there were even a few people who cared about him in this world.

"You love him, don't ya?" Maggie asked.

Daryl looked down but his guilty look and lack of answer gave him away. 

"Have you told him that, yet?" 

Daryl shook his head. "No. Didn't wanna give away everything again. But now I wish I'd have told him that this morning."

"I've heard him whisper it to you....That he loves you."  
She said.

"Yah. He says stuff like that a lot."

"I actually believe he means it"  
Maggie said. It was one of the only nice things she's had to say about him since the incident. 

"Really?" Daryl asked.

She nodded her head in the affirmative. "Oh yah. I see him watch you. It's not just with that weirdo control shit in his eyes. He may be the one 'in charge'", she air-quoted, "but you have him wrapped around your finger."

"Pfft" Daryl brushed off the comment and blushed. 

He hoped off the table. I'm gonna just go walk awhile, ok?"

"Sure. You want company?"

"No thanks, Mags. Just need some alone time."

She nodded. "Find me if you need me."

Daryl found himself on the roof where they'd spent an incredibly powerful evening less than a week ago. He walked the perimeter of the roof in the failing light looking out into the woods. Seeing nothing, he went back to the spot they shared not long ago. He took his clothes off and laid on his back with his arms by his side. He opened his legs wide and pulled them back so his ass and flaccid cock were available and waiting. And he lay there, eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of the setting sun. And he pretended Rick was nearby, sitting on the roof with him watching. Just making him wait like he sometimes does. And Daryl tried to remember to breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming soon- Where is Rick? Stay tuned!
> 
> OMG-  
> Just realized I posted this with notes for my next few chapters!!! So sorry if anyone was confused!! Fixed now!!


	16. Woops!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not really a chapter!
> 
> Just wanted to apologize to anyone following this story who already read the last chapter and may have gotten confused bc I accidentally copied my notes for the next chapter at the end! It is now updated to remove those notes. That's what I get for doing all this from an iphone! Apologies for any confusion! Will try to add another chapter today as my penance! 
> 
> That being said- anyone out there interested in being a beta reader? Cause clearly I need one!!

.... Next chapter coming soon.,,


	17. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and team run into trouble. Daryl continues to wait for his leader's return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to Skarlatha for beta reading this for me!! Your edits and input were invaluable and will make this story even better for the readers!

Rick felt good about how the Clear teams have been working. Going out in fours, fully armed with swords, silencers, knives, hatchets, and the crossbow whenever it was Daryl's turn on the team, made it easy to take down small hordes. Any more than 25-30, they knew to retreat and just be prepared for them to be met at the wall with more than the usual numbers standing guard there. In the several weeks of this routine they'd noticed a lot less trouble at the walls, but still had teams working to reinforce those as well. They hadn't, however, had any success in finding survivors, either ones that appeared to be a threat or those who seemed innocent and worth rescue.

Rick had a good team today. Sasha had become one of their best shots, T-dog was good at handling himself in close, and Michonne's been known to take three heads off at once with that katana of hers.

Leaving the prison was a little more difficult than he'd anticipated on this particular morning. He'd woken up and as his eyes fluttered open he noticed Daryl watching him but quickly slamming his eyes shut when he got caught. It made Rick grin from ear to ear. Daryl then cracked one eye open and confessed. "I'm sorry- I woke up and watched you sleeping. But I couldn't ask for permission to do it 'cause you were asleep."

It was so adorable. Rick was so surprised to feel that way. He'd long felt it was love, not just sex or control he had with Daryl. But to have giggly thoughts about how adorable he was... Was that weird? He honestly didn't know anymore.

Rick had said, "Well, you woke first... you win." And Rick put his hands behind Daryl's neck and pulled him close kissing him softly and gently.

"What did you see when you were watching me?" He'd asked between kisses.

With his still sleepy voice, Daryl had answered "Yer cute when yer sleepin'." Both men giggled. Two grown men, who'd started fucking during the apocalypse, laying in bed giggling. It was like a bizarre dream. But a good one.

Rick faked a pout and asked, "I'm not cute when I'm awake?"

Daryl answered with a surprising amount of confidence, "No- you're sexy when yer awake... Beautiful and... mesmerizing. Fuckin' hot as shit."

Rick covered his mouth in an affectionate, passionate kiss.

"I love you, Daryl." He said between kisses and kept his mouth busy with kisses so he wouldn't feel hurt when Daryl didn't respond with a similar sentiment. He knew Daryl was holding that away from him as a form of self protection, but to Rick it felt like punishment. It hurt Rick more than Daryl could even imagine.

Rick was still prepping for his day when Daryl and Axel were heading out for their hunt. Daryl had gone out of his way to tell Rick to be careful. Rick responded in kind and whispered to him "I love you" as they leaned in for what they hoped just looked like a non-affectionate pat on the back. Daryl just smiled and looked to the ground. "See you tonight," he'd said.

The Clear team made lots of progress during the morning hours. One or two stragglers here and there. A batch of ten by an abandoned car in the road.

Things were going relatively smoothly until they came to a cabin up on the north side of the prison. There was a decent sized horde. Maybe forty of them. The team stayed close and spoke in whispers.

"More than we typically like to handle this way". Michonne said.

"Be a good batch to off though. Their attention's on something else." Sasha said.

The team stayed quiet. Listened. Observed.

"What if the distraction is someone alive in there?" T-dog asked. "There was that car on the highway. Don't remember seeing that one last time I was on Clear duty."

Rick nodded, taking everyone's input into consideration.

"We have enough ammo for the silencers?" he asked.

The team all nodded at once. They always went out over-prepared.

"Two and two," he said and used his hands to direct Sasha and T-dog to the right, motioning for Michonne to follow him.

Rick made a signal and all four started picking off walkers as quickly as they could. A few figured out where the soft silencer thwaps were coming from and headed to one team or another, which frankly made the head shots easier. After a 20 minute battle, the walkers were down and the team from the prison slowly approached the cabin.

The worst part of the dead walking was how it made the living become more dangerous to each other.

Rick went to the door. It could be one person, ten, or a damn raccoon for all they knew.

He knocked. "Anyone alive in there?" he said quietly. "We're here to help."

Rick tried the door. It was locked. "In case you're hurt, we're going to bust the door in. But don't be afraid."

He signaled with his eyes for the others to be prepared for absolutely anything.

Rick took a heel and kicked in the weak wooden door. The crack of the wood sounded way louder than he would have expected and he was confused for a minute because there was a lot of talking all at once. His shoulder stung with pain which he remembers thinking was weird because he didn't use his shoulder to break down the door. Hands were on him as he stumbled back and lost his footing, falling to the ground. His eyesight pinholed until the last thing he saw was the memory of waking up that morning, catching Daryl squeezing his eyes shut and then cracking one open to peak through his bangs. Then all went black.

\------------

Rick woke on a couch. T was the first person he saw. Then he noticed a young boy in a chair with one of Rick's zip ties around his wrists. T was holding a gun to his head. Rick moved to get up, but a sharp pain sliced through his shoulders. Michonne was quickly at his side.

"Sasha's on guard outside. We need to keep pressure on your shoulder. Think you can walk? We're losing light."

"What happened?" Rick said groggily.

"I'm so sorry, mister. I didn't mean to. The last living people I ran into stole all my stuff and beat the shit outta me. I was just scared."

Rick focused on the boy. "You still scared?"

He nodded his head and tears spilled over his cheeks.

"You ain't got no other people?"

"No sir. Lost the last of 'em to a horde 'bout two weeks ago."

Rick looked at T to get his input and he gave a slight tilt of the head to indicate that he thought it's legit.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Randall, sir."

Rick looked at Michonne.

"We took his weapons. He weighs a buck ten soaking wet. I don't think we'll have trouble with him on the trip home.

Rick nodded. "Cut the zip ties. When we get back home, we'll have each member of the council meet with him. Get everyone's input."

Sasha popped her head in. "You're up," she said to Rick. "We really gotta move. We're losing light."

\---------

Daryl still lay on the roof pretending that Rick was only an arms length away. He tried to replay their rooftop night in his head but worry was a grey cloud over his every thought. He had no idea what to do. He thinks Rick would be happy to know that Daryl passed the time waited for him like this. 

His eyes burned with tears as his thoughts wandered to the possibility of Rick never coming back. The scars on his thighs itched. He was forbidden to mark himself again and, dead or alive, he would obey Rick on that. But at that moment, thinking of the complete emptiness there would be if Rick never returned to him, he longed to take the edge off his worry and despair with his blade. 

But he lay still, slammed his eyes shut and tried again to remember every kiss and every command they shared in this spot. Just anything to fill his brain.

As twilight filled the sky, he finally heard the sounds of the front gates being pulled open. He didn't move, not sure if he wanted to know yet if everyone returned alive.

As he lay frozen in fear, he heard Michonne's voice yelling to whoever was on duty at the gate. "Get Bob and Maggie!" 

He leapt up, almost tripping over his feet as he struggled to dress. Someone's been hurt. And Daryl knew instantly that Rick should have been the commanding voice shouting for their doctors. It could only mean one thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you like the direction, hate it, have ideas or recommendations, etc. The feedback I get always helps me fuel up for the next chapter!
> 
> P.s. to Jas- input from your recent comments is going to be showing up in the next chapter, so thanks for that inspiration!


	18. Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl reacts to Rick's injury and Rick reacts to that response. Their relationship continues to morph and grow as Rick heals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is way better now, thanks to my amazing beta reader- Skarlatha.

As Daryl came out the front doors of the prison, he saw Rick. He had a bloody torn shirt wrapped around his shoulder and Bob and Maggie were already on either side of him. The relief of seeing him alive and standing was overwhelming.

As they walked toward the prison entrance Rick was still yelling out orders. "Give the kid a cell. Let's keep someone outside the door for a while until the council can convene." 

Maggie and Bob were trying to rush him inside.

"Rick," Daryl said and slowly went up and gently touched his face. "You ok?"

Rick leaned forward and kissed him gently in front of everyone despite the unspoken agreement against PDA. Daryl's lips parted for his leader, desperate for as much of that kiss as Rick would allow him, completely oblivious to those watching. Rick was the only thing he could see at that moment.

After Rick slowly pulled away, Daryl innocently asked "What happened?"

"Took a round in the shoulder. 'S ok. I'm alright. Was an accident."

That's when Daryl noticed Randall fidgeting awkwardly by Michonne.

Before anyone could move, Daryl was on him. One punch put him on the ground and as the boy rolled and covered his face, Daryl threw one punch after another into whatever body part was visible. "You coulda killed him!" He kept shouting, not having felt anger like this in a very long time. Michonne and Tyreese both tried to pull Daryl off the boy, but Daryl had been in his share of bar fights before the dead started walking and he knew how to slip out of their grasps and keep going.

"DARYL!" Rick shouted. And the hunter stopped instantly, breathing heavily, still pinning the kid to the ground. Rick almost ordered him to 'go to your room' but before the words fell off his tongue he decided they were a little too patronizing considering everyone around.

"Leave him be," he said loud and sternly and Daryl stood, obeying. He started pacing like a caged animal.

"It was an accident, Daryl. Let it go. Ok?"

"Yes." Daryl said, straddling that delicate line of showing orders and obedience in public.

Maggie let Bob help Rick to the prison's medical unit while she took Daryl by the arm. "Come with us. You can help us keep him calm for the stitches, ok?"

Daryl allowed her to lead him and didn't look back at the kid he left on the ground.  
\-------------  
The hunter sat by Rick's side patting his head while Bob and Maggie got a better look at the wound.

"Is it ok if I do this?" Daryl whispered motioning to his hand petting through Rick's thick curls.

Rick nodded and softly said, "Yah. I like it."

Maggie looked up and whispered, "We can hear you, so be careful of where this conversation goes."

Both men grinned.

Bob looked up and said, "Well. It went through so that's good. Michonne did a good job of tending to ya in the field. I'm gonna wash it out a bit, stitch you up, get you on some antibiotics. We have some pain killers too from the last scavenge."

Bob and Maggie moved through the office like they'd worked there and the world was normal. Maggie brought over a suture tray. "Rick, were gonna numb ya up a bit. Got some stuff from a dentists office. Might make it easier for you to stay still for the stitches if you can't feel it," she explained.

Rick nodded. "Whatever you gotta do." Rick kept his eyes on Daryl.

"Hold my hand," Rick whispered, and Daryl held it and bowed his head, kissing his knuckles. Rick knew he himself would be fine. The hand holding was for Daryl. Rick could tell he needed it.

\------

Rick was back in his own cell with instructions to let himself heal. He wasn't to take any shifts at the wall or the garden and certainly was not to go on any runs outside the walls.

Rick was not a patient patient, and he was growing incredibly antsy after just two days of people constantly coming and going. The only peace he had were the evenings alone in his cell with Daryl cuddled up against his good side.

Daryl had become incredibly talkative and Rick loved it. Usually he had to drag words from his lips with orders, but the scare of losing Rick must have shaken something loose in him. Every sentence the first night started with "Can I?"

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Can I give you a foot massage?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Can I watch you sleep?"

"Can I feed you dinner?"

He was so eager to please Rick. So eager to serve him. So eager just to lay eyes on him every chance he got.

Most of Rick's demands were verbal during his recovery. He'd make Daryl answer stupid questions just hear his voice. What's his favorite color? Did he ever have a dog? Just so Rick could lie there and listen.

Rick had been pretty uncomfortable because of his arm, so sex didn't come up at all the first night. But by the second, Rick knew his hunter was hungry for relief. Especially after all the worry.

They lay together, with Daryl in the crook of Rick's good arm. Just kissing, fingers leisurely intertwined in each other's hair.

"I know your dying to get off, lover," Rick whispered. Daryl blushed at the comment and the term of endearment. Calling him lover was something new Rick started doing since he'd been shot. The first time he did it was while he was getting stitches and he got a giant eye roll and an "oh GOD" out of Maggie.

"I only want to get off when you tell me to," Daryl answered obediently.

"I want you to," Rick said, his eyes glossy from the constant discomfort of his arm and the fresh dose of pain pills.

"How? Want to just watch me? Like across the room so I don't hurt you?"

"No. Want you right here." Daryl was still curled up against Rick, one leg slightly over Rick's. His cock growing harder against his leader's thigh. "Want to watch your face right here. Just rub against me right in the position you're in. Something tells me you won't have any trouble coming. I feel you on my thigh already." Rick grinned.

Daryl started slowly moving, grinding into Rick's thigh. He kept his eyes on Rick's because he knew his leader preferred that.

"There you go, baby. Is that feeling nice?"

"Yes."

"You can close your eyes if you want. I know you like to do that sometimes," Rick said.

Daryl slowly shut his eyes and continued writhing like a squirming puppy at Rick's side. His eyelashes twitched and his jaw became slack as his lips parted and his breath quickened.

"What are you picturing?" Rick whispered.

"You," Daryl breathed.

"Better be me." Rick said. "More descriptive..."

"...Standing over me while I'm on my knees. ...Watching you stroke yourself. ...Waiting for you to cum on my face while I have my hand on my cock," Daryl says between breaths.

"Damn. I like that," Rick answered, wishing he wasn't loaded up on pain pills. 

Rick leaned in and kissed Daryl's parted lips. "You are so fucking sexy," Rick whispered.

Daryl moaned. "Can I cum?" he pleaded, knowing not to do it without permission. His face contorted trying to hold his orgasm at bay until Rick allowed it.

Rick stayed quiet a few seconds just to drag it out, then answered, "Yes. Cum for me, Daryl."

And the hunter's head flew back as he ground into Rick's thigh with a few last thrusts and he groaned loudly, "Oh god, Rick."

Rick held Daryl tight against him with his good arm as Daryl shuddered through the aftershocks, kissing his damp forehead and whispering, "You are so beautiful. This is the only place I'm happy is with you in my arms."

Daryl's eyes fluttered open.

"Feel all better now, love?" Rick asked.

"Yah. Thank you," Daryl said bashfully. He reached down to Rick's cock and found him soft. 

Rick nudged his hand away. " 's ok. The pain pills are fucking with me a bit. I promise, you'll be getting plenty of my cock soon enough." He grinned. 

"Ok." Daryl said dreamily smiling at the thought.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Daryl said, "I have to go talk to that kid in the morning."

"Yah," Rick said, "I guess so. You're on the council."

"I know what you're thinking. Mags is gonna be right there to make sure I don't kill him," Daryl said

"I'm commanding you not to kill him."

Daryl smiled. "Yah, I won't. Don't know why you brought him back though."

Rick moved to sit up a little. He looked Daryl directly in the eyes.

"Why did I bring him back? Cause it could have been you. You were out there once. Alone. With your own damn arrow through your side." He paused. "If you weren't able to find your way back. Some other group found you? I'd hope they were good guys like us. 'S why I always want to encourage you to talk. And to be your own man at camp. If something ever happened. We ever got separated. I want you to be able to talk your way out of getting shot. Not much to believe in anymore, but i guess I'm hoping karma will look kindly upon us. If we take care of one, maybe someone else will take care of you.. or y'know one of ours if shit ever goes south."

Daryl was stunned. He had no idea that he played such major role in Rick's thoughts and decisions. He had no idea that in the middle of a walker battle and getting shot every action he took was because he was thinking of Daryl.

"Why are you making a weird face at me?" Rick asked. "You know you can vote your conscience and not my command at council."

"You were thinking all that stuff about me?" Daryl asked like he'd never heard anything so ridiculous in his life.

"I'm always thinking about you, Daryl. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was your sweet face peeking at me sleeping the other morning." Rick laughed.

Daryl kissed him. Softly. Holding his leader's head in both hands. With their lips barely touching, Daryl whispered, "I love you, Rick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Skarlatha again for beta reading and thanks to Jas for comments that gave me some inspiration! Hope everyone likes the chapter. I'm always listening, so please let me know your thoughts and feedback! It's always helpful!


	19. Remember this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick is finally feeling well enough for some fun and things get a little intense. Well, ok- more than a little intense. And Daryl loves it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks always goes out to the lovely and amazing Skarlatha for beta reading!

Rick woke obscenely early, likely from the mild discomfort in his shoulder. He knew Maggie would probably recommend he take more pain pills, but frankly he'd rather save those. It was a dangerous world and people were getting hurt all the time. He could handle the pain. Besides, he really wanted his cock back. He spent a good half-hour watching Daryl sleep, his head on Rick's chest.

Rick opened up a little more than he wanted to the night before, but it was worth it. Daryl knowing how deeply etched he was in Rick's mind was what it took for the hunter to finally relent and totally give himself back over to his leader. He'd said he loved him. And Rick knew that was the only defense Daryl still had. Rick looked down again to gaze at what was his. His hunter was beautiful. Messy, matted hair, innocent face, and the rest of his long lean body stretched out naked next to Rick.

Rick felt his cock jump at the sight. He could have this man any way he wanted. And there was nothing in the world Rick wanted more than to have him.

He knew Daryl would be questioning Randall later. He didn't want to influence Daryl, but he did want to plead his case for keeping the kid. Wanted Daryl to remember the whole time what Rick had explained to him the night before.

Rick brought the kid back and now instantly had taken on the responsibility of him. Just like he bore the burden of handling the whole prison. Council or no council, it was clear that Rick knew how to convince them all to go along with his decisions. He still felt in charge. And he was fairly certain everyone still felt like he really was.

Rick nudged his slumbering lover to wake him. Daryl looked up and smiled. "'Mornin," he said sleepily.

"Mornin, lover." Rick grinned, tracing Daryl's jawline and looking into his blue eyes. He ran his thumb over the hunter's lips and Daryl pressed a kiss to it.

"Let's get up. Come to the roof with me again," Rick said and Daryl moved immediately, climbing out of bed and pulling on some boxers. Rick sat on the bed as Daryl knelt in front of him with another pair of boxers and he slid them up his leader's legs and as he stood, Daryl stood and pulled them the rest of the way up.

Rick leaned in and kissed him gently, then pulled on his jeans. Daryl started looking for his own, but Rick stopped him.

"It's so early. Sun's not even quite up, I'd love to just watch you walk to the roof in your boxers."

Daryl hesitated for just a second. He licked his lips and bit on the bottom one nervously. 

"I'll bring you a pair of sweats in case it's light when we come back down," Rick offered, picking a pair up from the back of a chair.

Daryl gave his leader a slight nod and turned to walk out of the cell, feeling like somehow he was the one who gave Rick permission. He didn't give up all control with his words last night, he thought. Daryl's naked skin tingled as he walked ahead of Rick through the hall. He was warmed by how Rick sensed his hesitance and responded with a slight change to appease the hunter, rather than demand something that made Daryl pause.

As they stepped onto the roof, the sky was still dark, but the clear sky and bright half-moon provided enough light that the men could see.

"Boxers," Rick instructed.

And Daryl removed them eagerly.

"On all fours."

And Daryl nearly banged his knees trying to obey so quickly. He arched his back so his ass was accessible, knowing Rick liked that.

Kneeling next to his lover, Rick petted him from his sleep-strewn hair to the curve of his ass.

He lingered at the ass, cupping and squeezing each cheek, teasing. Daryl let out a satisfied sigh at the touch.

Rubbing Daryl's ass, he asked, "What do you think we're going to do up here this morning, Daryl?"

"I think you're going to fuck me," he answered simply.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Daryl. But I have something else I have to deal with first." Rick paused. But Daryl put up no fight, just stayed where he was told. "Yer in a little bit 'a trouble. Goin' blind with rage and punchin' at that kid yesterday. Your instinct should have been to meet my eyes for instructions. Don't you think?"

"Yah. I fucked up," Daryl said unconsciously rocking gently against Rick's hand still rubbing his ass.

"You did. But I respect your limits and you clearly told me no hitting unless you offered yourself." Rick let a finger slide down the hunters crack and then resumed squeezing and rubbing each cheek. Rick lowered his voice. "I think you should be spanked for punishment. And then spread wide with my fingers and fucked afterwards."

Daryl groaned.

"But if you don't want that, you can tell me now, and we can go back to bed. Do you want it?"

"Yes." Daryl moaned.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I want it."

"I just want to be clear so that I know exactly what you are asking for, Daryl," Rick teased. "You'll have to beg me so I know." Rick took his hands off the hunter purposefully.

"Please, Rick. Spank me for my punishment. I was wrong. Please." Daryl groaned in anticipation.

Rick reached his hand back and landed a loud stinging slap. Daryl let out a grunt.

"More?" the leader asked.

"Yes, more."

Another swat.

"More..." Daryl moaned without having to be instructed.

And on it went slap after slap, Daryl crying out for more with each new sting.

Rick was rock hard watching Daryl's body respond to each smack. Hearing his repeated desperate cry for more. It was so perfect.

After so many whacks that Rick's hand started hurting and his other shoulder thudded with a reminder of his injury, Rick stopped.

"More," Daryl cried.

"That's enough. You're beet red back here and my hand is stinging probably as bad as your ass," Rick replied.

"More..." Daryl pleaded.

Rick laughed. "Damn, you are literally a glutton for punishment, my little one. You know I'm a sucker for yer beggin' but..."

Daryl leaned back on his knees, even though his ass was on fire. He looked Rick in the eyes and the leader cocked his head at him curiously. Daryl unbuckled Rick's belt. Slowly slid it out of the loops, folded it in half and handed it to his leader. He bent back into position.

"More. Please," he whined.

"Daryl," Rick started, but the hunter knew his concern before Rick had to struggle to find the words, wanting to argue against using the same weapon as his lover's abusive father.

"He ain't a part a this. He ain't in my head at all. You took him away. It's all just you and I want to feel everything with you. Please."

Rick was almost ready to shoot his load just by listening to Daryl beg. There was no way he could deny him. The leader took the belt and made sure the buckle was in his hand so only the strap would make contact.

Daryl's body rocked back and forth in anticipation. Rick used all his might to take the first swing. Hoping to end the begging so he could get into Daryl's tight red ass without feeling bad about denying him in this frenzy he was in.

Daryl cried out, the loudest Rick's ever heard him, then quickly gritted his teeth and said, "Mmmm...more."

Rick lashed him another ten times getting the same cry and the same plea for more. After the eleventh, Daryl was panting and silent. His ass was three shades of red with deep lines from the belt, a few of which had broken skin and started bleeding.

Rick tried to re-focus so he wouldn't cum too soon. Actually thought about baseball, an incredibly old trick. But then pictured the Brave's field filled with uniformed walkers. That did help a little.

Rick pulled some lube out of his back pocket and slicked up his cock, then slipped two fingers immediately into his waiting hunter.

Daryl groaned in pleasure. Scissoring his fingers quickly, Rick pulled out, spread Daryl's sore cheeks and slowly pushed his girth into the tight hole.

The pleasure and pain Daryl received was intoxicating. He felt like every smack and every lashing was a mini-orgasm boiling up. As Rick spread his aching cheeks and Daryl felt his shaft sliding into him he groaned eagerly and rocked back trying to take more of Rick. 

"So eager," Rick breathed. He thrust in slow and steady, but his hunter was in an absolute frenzy, bucking back into him. 

"Fuck me.." Daryl whined.

"Are you begging me or ordering me?" Rick asked as he pumped slowly in and out of his hunter's ass, his cock throbbing.

"Begging," Daryl panted "Please Rick, fuck me hard. Please let me cum."

God, Rick loved the sound of his desperate begging. He thrust hard and fast into Daryl's tightness as his sexy lover started to shake.

"Cum, Daryl," Rick ordered and without having his cock so much as touched, the build of sensations finally pushed the hunter over the edge and he came hard with a guttural shout. It was a long, hard, shuddering orgasm and it swelled on and on as Rick kept hitting the prostate. 

As Daryl's body stopped shaking, Rick pulled out and stood stroking himself. "Knees!" he demanded and Daryl got to them. 

Rick came instantly, white thick shots of cum hitting his hunter's face, Daryl opening his mouth for the last few drops.

Both men gasped for breath. Rick couldn't take his eyes off his lover's face. Cum covering his beard, some at his temple and a line from one eyebrow across his nose to the other cheek.

Daryl finally buckled and fell to the ground. Grunting in pain as his ass hit the ground. He kept his face in Rick's direction so his leader could admire him. Rick sat, gasping for breath.

Light was just starting to greet the dark night sky.

Rick scooted closer to Daryl's face. "Close your eyes." Daryl did. "Open your mouth a little," and Rick nudged it open just the right amount with the tip of his finger. Rick had never longed for a camera more in his life. "Lick the cum off your lips." Daryl did. Rick concentrated on memorizing that moment. Both of them exhausted, completely spent, Rick's seed strewn across his lover's face.

"You can do what you want during your little interrogation today. But while you're sitting across from him, your burning ass will remind you of everything I said last night," Rick whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did ya like it? I always love to hear feedback- good or bad. Please let me know if you have ideas about what you'd like to see happen in this story! I always get great inspiration from your comments!


	20. Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl talks to Randal and gets a better understanding of his situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Skarlatha, my amazing beta reader! You put so much thought into your comments and make everything I write a whole lot better!!

Daryl walked down the prison hall towards the cell where they were keeping Randall. Every step making his pants grip against his stinging ass, a vivid reminder of his morning. That was the longest, hardest orgasm he'd ever had. And he was still deliriously giddy about learning the night before how much he meant to Rick. That Rick was thinking about Daryl as much as Daryl was thinking about Rick. He thought of the soft sigh of relief he heard spill from his leader's lips when Daryl told him he loved him. Like he wanted that. Wanted Daryl to love him.

The hunter relished each step, feeling like Rick's hands were still on him. He loved that feeling, of something like that left behind that he would keep on feeling throughout the course of the day, reminding him who he belonged to.

As Rick said, Maggie was in front of the cell. They'd had someone stationed outside it since Randall's arrival just to make sure he wasn't trying anything.

Maggie took a few steps toward Daryl, clearly wanting to chat before he went in. The two leaned over the rail close together so Randall wouldn't hear. Nothing they said was any of his business.

"You gonna go in there and play nice?" Maggie asked.

"Yah," Daryl answered as if he didn't even know why she'd ask such a thing.

Maggie watched his face.

"What?" he asked.

"You been smiling the whole time you strolled over here and you haven't stopped. It's kinda freaking me out."

"I ain't allowed to be happy?" Daryl pouted.

Maggie just kept looking at him suspiciously. Then she grinned. "You told him you love him," she said firmly and rolled her eyes a bit as she smiled.

"How the fuck you know that?" Daryl gasped.

"I didn't, but I do now." She laughed. After a moment she added quietly, "I'm sure he was glad to hear it." She gave him the same slightly worried glance she often did when trying to make sure Daryl was alright. "You ok with givin' that over?"

Daryl knew she was still a little put off by Rick. Maybe still disturbed about what she'd heard happened at breakfast a few weeks ago. Maybe just not getting the whole dynamic of the relationship.

Daryl wasn't use to confiding in people or talking about relationships or talking at all really. But he wanted Maggie to understand. "I don't know how to explain it, Mags. He has this way a' takin' care of me that's somethin' I ain't ever had. Takes away all the burdens. Don't hafta think about nothin'. Just feel. Plus, I mean he's really hot. Have you seen his ass?" Daryl giggled. Actually fucking giggled.

"Daryl Dixon. If someone told me two years ago that you and I would be chatting about the hotness of Rick's ass, I'd have never believed it. The dead are up and walking and I am more shocked about this moment right here," she laughed.

Daryl looked over at the cell. "'m I the last one?"

Maggie nodded. "Everyone else talked with him yesterday or the day before. Kinda wanted time for everyone to settle." She looked at him sharply. "Go on in." She nudged his shoulder. "And be good."

He walked over to the cell door with firm, steady footsteps trying to sound intimidating even though his ass reminded him to be gentle with the damn kid.

The kid- and now Daryl could see that he really was a kid- sat on the bed leaning against the concrete wall. Maybe 18, 20? Definitely no older. He sat up straight at the sight of Daryl.

The hunter opened the cell door and closed it behind him, then pulled up the chair. As he sat into it, his ass burned. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and face for a second, acting like he was thinking but actually trying to hide a blush.

"I'm Daryl," he said looking up.

"Randall." He had the yellow-geeen remnants of a healing black eye.

Daryl pointed to it. "Sorry."

"'s ok. I woulda done the same thing if..." The kid just kind of stopped talking.

"If what...?"

"If ya know, the person I was... with... came back to me shot and brought the shooter back with her."

"So were you 'with' someone then?"

"All my people are dead. My girlfriend too."

"Sorry." Daryl said for a second time. "How long ago?"

"Couple weeks. There was only five of us by then. They killed three right away. Then Amelia..."

"Who's 'they'? Walkers?"

"No. Just some guys. A group of 'em."

Daryl sat quietly, trying to decide if there would be any reason for the kid to lie. "Why they keep you two longer?"

Randall changed his position on the bed, pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around them. "The others from our group were older. Didn't need them. They raped Amelia."

"What were you doin'? Watchin'? You try to save her?"

The kid stared at him blankly, and Daryl immediately regretted such an unsympathetic question.

"They were raping me too."

Daryl put his face back in his hands and shook his head.

"One of them suffocated her trying to keep her quiet. I didn't hear it happened but heard them talking about it at the campfire when I was tied back up and Amelia's body was left where I could see it."

"How'd you get away?" Daryl asked solemnly. He changed position slightly as he looked to the floor, feeling Rick all over him. Understanding now why he'd brought the kid back.

"Managed to untie the ropes while they were drunk and sleeping. Took a couple of their guns. Walked away alone. Just kept putting distance til I ended up in that cabin. Thought Rick was one 'a them, come back for me."

"How many walkers you killed?"

"More 'n I can remember."

"How many people you killed?"

"One."

"Why?"

"They were bit. Wanted to go before they turned. Begged someone to do it and no one else would. So I did it."

Daryl nodded. "You wanna stay here?"

Randall nodded.

"Why?"

"Got nothin' else. And no one's tried to hurt me." He paused. "Well, except for you. But that was totally understandable."

Daryl smiled apologetically. "What kind a weapon you use to kill walkers?"

"Gun. And a knife when I'm out of bullets."

"You a good shot?"

"Am now. Wasn't before in the old world."

Daryl stood and walked slowly to the door, then stopped and turned. "Would you recognize any of those guys 'f you saw 'em again?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure you understand why we're being so careful, we don't want to take in the wrong people."

The kid nodded.

Daryl left the cell, nodding at Maggie as he passed. The sting of his marked ass hugging him tight. 

And he understood how Rick thought about how it coulda been Daryl. Hell, it coulda been Rick. Coulda been anyone. He wanted to bury his head in his leader's chest and cry. For this kid, his girlfriend, for all the ones they lost. He felt himself making it a personal mission to find those fuckers. Kid was on foot. Those animals could be near the prison.

Daryl knew the council was already convened and waiting for him. They sat at one of the tables in the common area, Rick standing at the head of the table, always looking like the true leader. They all looked up at Daryl, who decided to also stand. 

"Well, obviously we all talked to him. He'll stay. Get him a permanent cell and tell Mags he don't need a babysitter no more," Daryl said, sounding like he had the authority to make the decision himself.

"He was a farmer's boy. Probably be a great help with the garden," Tyrese said.

Daryl nodded and looked up at Rick for approval.

"Anyone feel any different?" Rick asked.

No one interjected with concerns.

"Alright then. Glenn, you can tell Maggie to stand down. And give him the cell at the far end of your block."

Everyone got up to disperse and Rick and Daryl were left alone. The leader walked over and kissed Daryl gently. "I'm so proud of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know- no good sex in this chapter. Had to move the plot a little. Don't worry though- there will be more!


	21. Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl's reaction to Randall's story carries into the evening and Rick tries comfort him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would I do without Skarlatha? She continues to be an amazing beta reader! Thank you so much!

Daryl was sitting in their cell fiddling with one of his bolts when Rick came in for the evening.

Stripping out of his clothes, he crawled onto the bed in his boxers. He sat right next to Daryl and watched his nimble fingers fletching the arrow. Three more lay ready for repair by his side.

In comfortable silence Rick leaned his head against the cell wall and watched. His hunter focused on the task with intense determination.

Rick was still tingling with pride from Daryl's confident stroll into the council meeting. He never realized how sexy Daryl could be when he had command of an audience. It wasn't often. He knew Daryl was always more comfortable in the background. He always played the role of the dutiful soldier, rarely the leader, except when hunting.

Other than a quick glance and a brief smile when Rick walked in, Daryl hadn't broken his concentration.

"You have too much on your mind, I can tell," Rick said, reading the expression in his eyes and his furrowed brow.

"Just wanted to get a few of these set. Should do some huntin tomorrow," he said. "Got another mouth to feed."

Rick smiled at the way Daryl said it. Like they, together, had another mouth to feed. He didn't want Daryl to stress about things, but he liked the thought of him becoming adjusted to Randall's presence so quickly.

"You were with him a while. You get his whole story?"

Daryl nodded and tossed his head to get the long bangs out of his face, his focus remaining on the damaged bolt. "Poor fucker probably had to tell it five damn times."

"I'm glad you asked the right questions," Rick said.

Daryl didn't respond.

The leader pulled back a bit and sat Indian-style facing his hunter. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Daryl stopped fidgeting with the bolt and rested his head against the concrete wall. After a heavy sigh, he said, "Hurtin' women and kids don't sit right with me. I think we should be actively lookin for 'em. Kid was on foot. They gotta be nearby."

Rick nodded. "Well, we're starting the Clear teams up again tomorrow. We'll be lookin'."

Daryl shook his head. "And do what if we find 'em?"

"What we do if we find anyone. Bring them back and question them. We're not gonna know if it's them on sight." Rick answered.

"He'll know. He'd recognize them."

"Then we meet with the council and decide what to do."

"No. That kid nods his head to anyone and I shove my Bowie knife into the base of their skull."

Rick cocked his head, fascinated with his hunter's intensity.

"Will you put your bolts away and lay down with me?" Rick felt the tension in the room needed his demand to come off more as a request.

Daryl got out of bed, slipped the fixed bolt into his quiver, and tossed the other three on the floor beside it. He pulled off his jeans and climbed into bed next to Rick, resting his head on his leader's chest.

Rick ran his fingers through Daryl's hair, let the strands slip through his fingers and kept repeating the motion. "Don't like you stressin' so much. Everything will be ok."

Daryl, for the first time since they started fucking, didn't feel comforted.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" Rick asked, still having the ability to practically read Daryl's mind.

"Rick, you gonna be mad if I don't wanna do nothin' t'night?" he asked.

"No. I'm never mad at you. You know it wasn't about bein' mad this mornin right? It was ... I don't know... You wantin' it and me wantin' to give it."

"I know," Daryl said, his breath tickling the hairs of Rick's chest as he spoke. "Glad I had it with me. Feelin' you the whole time I was talkin to him."

Rick kissed his forehead. "Rough to hear, wasn't it?"

"Yah."

Rick knows Daryl was likely making a connection to his own childhood. He runs his hand gently over his hunter's back where the scars are the worst. Rick felt that he'd failed his lover. He wasn't able to take it all away.

Daryl knew he was disappointing his leader by not feeling comforted. And that, on top of his anger at the whole world, past and present, spilled into tears that he tried to hide with steadying breaths. His concentrated inhale hitched and he choked out a sob.

Rick's heart stopped at the sound. He stopped rubbing Daryl's back and hugged him tight with both arms.

"Cry," Rick said. "It's ok."

Daryl let his ragged breath turn into fat tears and full hiccuped cries. He wept in his lover's embrace until he ran dry. Until his mind swirled to a stop from exhaustion. And then he slept, dreamless, in his lover's arms. Rick stayed awake as if he were on watch, making sure his hunter's body felt arms tightly wrapped around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's end notes will be used for high praise and recommendation. I read a lot on here and love a lot on here but every now and then I read something that I absolutely must tell someone else about. If you want to read an intense and powerful take on Rickyl, I highly recommend Michelle_A_Emerlind's Beneath the Gray Fire. It's a fascinating look at the pairing with Daryl as asexual. I would never have thought a story about someone who is completely not interested in sex could be so intense and hot! There is so much exploration of emotions and connection. Though they talk about the sexual issue a lot, there is little of it actually in the story, but the parts that are there are on fire. Between Daryl's mysteriousness and aloofness and Rick's urges and desires, there is just all kinds of goodness spilling out of this story. It was a truly fascinating read.
> 
> Unfortunately for me, after you read it, my fics will look like absolute drivel. But I must give credit where credit is due. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Another one is coming soon! (And spoiler alert: it will be heavily loaded with smut!)


	22. Belonging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl gets what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks goes to my beta reader, Skarlatha. Because of her feedback and question on first draft's, you guys are getting a better story! Don't know how I got so lucky! Thanks, Skarlatha!!

Daryl woke. He felt Rick's arms tight around him. The heavy sound of crickets in the air told him that a significant amount of time had passed. "Rick?"

"I'm here," he whispered, wrapping his arms even tighter.

Daryl shifted his head to meet his leader's eyes. "You slept?"

"Not yet," he answered, keeping the embrace and starting to rub his hands up and down Daryl's muscled arm.

"Why?"

"Wanted to hold you."

Daryl kept Rick's gaze, remembering the tears he'd shed and the empty feeling he had. He stretched a little and as Rick's arms loosened to give him room, Daryl wiggled up to sit on his ass, wanting to feel that sharp bit of pain more than the warm embrace.

Rick sat up and slid behind him, leaning against the wall and gently using his hands to encourage Daryl to relax into him.

Both arms wrapped around his lover, the leader put one hand flat against Daryl's inner thigh and brushed the knuckles of his other against his hunter's chest. "Been thinkin'," he said.

"'Bout?" Daryl asked, letting his head relax and tuck into the spot between Rick's chin and shoulder.

"You are are right about the group that killed Randall's people." Daryl wanted to turn and face Rick, but his body was feeling too melted into Rick's hold, the ache from his still-tender ass making it feel like Rick had two additional phantom hands on his backside.

Rick noticed Daryl's interest peak by the sound of his breathing but was pleased he didn't move from their twist of arms and legs. He continued, "They gotta be fairly near. And they gotta be dealt with. They're more of a danger than the walkers. When the sun comes up, I'll gather the council to recommend we go out with a team. Immediately. You go see Randall. Find out as much as you can about which direction he came from when he ended up at that cabin. He'd told me four men. He told you he could identify them. Get descriptions." As Rick spoke he continued to massage Daryl's thigh with one hand, gently brushed his chest with the other.

Daryl's despair from the evening before started to fade and he felt purpose and adrenaline start pumping back into his veins, his cock twitching. He suddenly wanted Rick so badly he could barely form words to ask for him.

He moved, turning to face his leader, straddling his lap. He took Rick's head in his hands and without asking, he took a kiss. Rick didn't seem to be phased by Daryl's emboldened actions, so the hunter's kiss turned hungrier and it was reciprocated. Daryl felt like he wanted to swallow Rick whole. He ground his hips into his leader's, tongues and lips fighting for dominance.

Rick grabbed Daryl's hands and held them down at his side, breaking their kiss. Daryl saw his blown pupils in the moonlight. "Tell me what you want," Rick said.

"You. However I can have you. Whatever you want. I just want to cum with you. Now," he answered, pelvis still thrusting.

Rick slipped his fingers in between the opening of Daryl's boxers and he ripped them apart in one motion, pulling the material out from his hunter's legs. Daryl's heart started thudding.

The leader used his hands to push the hunter to his knees. Rick looked up at his lover still straddled above him. "Suck on your fingers and get yourself ready for me." Daryl's eyes stayed locked on Rick's, looking down at him instead of up for the first time, but still obeying. He put two fingers in his mouth and sucked as Rick pulled his own cock from his boxers and started stroking himself.

"They're wet enough. Get yourself ready."

Daryl moved his fingers down and rubbed his entrance, steadying himself on his knees by holding onto the slats in the bunk above them with his other hand. He awkwardly pressed a finger inside himself as Rick watched.

Letting out a gasp, Daryl ground himself onto his own finger.

"Another finger." Rick demanded. And Daryl obeyed, breath catching at the new invasion. Rick spit into his hand stroked, watched, spit more.

"Me now."

And Daryl removed his fingers. Steadying himself by grasping onto the upper bunk with both hands, he lowered himself slowly onto Rick's cock.

Rick watched his hunter's tight, lean body elongate with both hands above his head. Guiding his dick into Daryl's tight entrance, he said, "Take me in." 

Daryl pushed himself down, feeling Rick split into his tight channel. Rick gasped as the head breached his entrance. "Jesus Christ, you're so tight," Rick groaned.

Daryl took a breath and bore down harder, using the top bunk to push, groaning and arching his back as his body slowly consumed Rick's cock completely.

Rick watched Daryl's chest, muscles rippling, as he pushed and pulled against the top bunk, his muscular arms bulging at every move. After drinking in the sight of his hunter's body above him, Rick and Daryl locked eyes.

"Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ," Rick muttered as Daryl pressed onto him, back up, back down again, growling now as he did it. Rick flushed with pleasure.

He latched onto Daryl's bulging, throbbing cock with his fist and pumped him. Daryl started panting.

"Daryl, Jesus, you are so fucking hot. Look at you. Jesus Christ."

"I wanna cum," Daryl answered.

"Yes." Rick allowed and Daryl's head dropped back as as he moaned in ecstasy, his load spurting onto Rick's chest.

Daryl looked down at Rick, eyes dizzy with love for his leader. He watched as Rick's sticky hands gripped onto Daryl's hips and guided the pace as his face transformed into bliss and he shouted again, "Jesus Christ, Daryl." And his hands held the hunter tight to him as he orgasmed.

Daryl lifted back off with one last pull on the upper bunks and they fell apart panting. Rick's chest, his hands and Daryl's hips all sticky from cum.

Daryl rolled over to Rick, looking down at him again. "Thank you," he whispered. 

Rick could tell by the determined look in his eyes that it wasn't just for the orgasm. He was already thinking about the morning's plan. "You're welcome." Rick said.

Daryl brought his head down to Rick's stomach and started cleaning him off with his tongue. He took each hand and cleaned each palm and each finger with his mouth. As he sucked on the last one he told Rick, "Go to sleep. You need some rest for tomorrow." He didn't realize it sounded like a command until after he said it. He hesitated, knowing that was not how their dynamic was supposed to work, but when Rick kept his gaze and didn't react, the hunter didn't worry about apologizing. Rick grabbed Daryl against him and curled into sleep.

Daryl was sated and excited for the next day. He felt Rick's breath pattern into sleep. His. He replayed their lovemaking in his head step by step. His heart swelled with affection. Love. Daryl didn't just belong to Rick. Rick belonged to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know your thoughts! Lots more to come. I'm still bursting with ideas!
> 
> Thanks goes to Bella_monoxide for some wonderful conversations about the dynamics in this story. If you like this kind of stuff, with Rickyl in particular, you'll want to check out her work!


	23. Vengeance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get the bad guys!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by the super-amazing Skarlatha! She's not just spell checking and fighting the good fight against typos. She's reading it close, asking questions where there's confusion, making recommendations, suggesting more details and basically teaching me how to be a better writer. How did I get this lucky to find you on here?

Daryl walked through the prison with purpose, stopping at the cell that had been set up for Randall. They had decided not to assign him to a work detail for another few days to give him time to settle in. The boy was crouched up in the bed reading a book he probably found in the prison library.

He nodded in greeting at Daryl. The hunter slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Randall kept his eyes on him as Daryl dropped a map down on a make-shift table and pushed a finger hard to it. "Where."

He knew the kid understood immediately when he got up and walked over without question. He took a minute to orient himself to the map.

Daryl pointed to a blue dot he had made. "That's this prison." And then moved his hand to another mark. "That's the cabin."

He watched the kid thinking. Didn't want to push him, but thought he might need more understanding of direction. He pointed to the left of the prison. "Sunrise is on this side in the morning." Moved his hand. "Sets on this side."

Randall pointed to the cabin and drew his finger backwards past some roads to a neighborhood.

"We were in a house on the outskirts of this town. My people before..." He squinted at road names. "Here. Right along here. They'd come through and got us there. Killed three of us. Took Amelia and I..." He looked closely to the map again. "Past here. Not sure where they stopped that night with us. Somewhere in these woods probably. That night I got away, y'know."

Daryl nodded.

Randall continued. "I must have run through these woods to the cabin. But I know they'd been talking about restocking on ammo. Talked like they were heading to a town called Grantville." Randall looked around till he found it on the map and then pointed. "They knew of a place there or something. If they gave up on searching for me, they might be heading here."

Daryl nodded. "Four of 'em, right?"

"Yah."

"Tell me what they looked like."

"You going... like now?" Randall asked.

Daryl nodded. Randall grabbed his dirty sneakers and started pulling them on. "I'll be able to tell you."

"No, kid. You're stayin' here. Need to keep the team tight. We're used to working together."

"I'm not a fucking kid," Randall said, his eyes greying over and his mouth setting firm. He stood taller and his posture became defensive. Same way Daryl would react when someone would call him "boy" growin' up. His pa had called him "boy," usually when he was getting the belt. Fuckers probably called him "kid" while they were fucking him.

"I'm sorry, Randall. You ain't. You're right. But you still can't go. What can you tell me about them?"

Randall kicked his shoes back off, defeated, and sat on the bed hugging his knees. His eyes were unfocused and far off as he thought. "The one... with me... He had a weird brown rabbit's foot necklace he wore on a chain. He had long brown hair and a ponytail."

He stared into space again. "One that had Amelia said that she had bit him hard. Almost took his thumb off. It was bleeding a lot. Might have marks still from that. He had spiky hair. Blonde. Third one was short. Real short for a guy. Napoleon syndrome. He was the one bossing everyone. Wore camouflage. All white guys, but the last one was black. Bald. He used a crossbow. Always had it on him."

"Thanks, Randall," Daryl said as he folded up the map and tucked it in his pocket.

"What are you gonna do?" Randall asked.

"Kill a few guys and get myself a new crossbow," he responded and left the cell, heading to the common area.

\-----

As Daryl entered the room, he saw that the council was convened and waiting for him. Tyrese, Glenn, Michonne and Rick were all seated at the table.

"Ok, Rick. We're all here. What's up?" Tyrese said.

As Daryl took his seat, Rick leaned in. "Daryl is suggesting that we go after the men that attacked Randall's group. And I agree with him."

Daryl looked down, shy at the acknowledgement.

Rick continued, "Men like that are a danger. Worse than walkers. They can think, rationalize, understand and they CHOOSE to be evil, to kill, to rape. I don't want to risk something happening during a run. Separating. What if Maggie or Sasha or someone ends up by themselves? We know there's a danger nearby and we need to eliminate it before it comes home to roost." 

Daryl gazed at Rick, madly in love with his confidence and his ability to strategize and lead. He'd specifically used Maggie and Sasha as examples to hit Tyrese and Glenn hard. And it worked.

With a heavy sigh, Glenn spoke up first. "I agree. Kid's story was a nightmare. But how do we... We don't know where to start looking."

Daryl spoke next, "His name is Randall and I think we should start using that. He's not a kid." He pulled the map from his pocket and smoothed it out on the table, pointing to each location Randall had pointed out and ending with a description of each guy.

Michonne said, "I'll go."

"No," Rick said. "Don't like too many out at the same time from the council." Michonne looked disappointed, but Rick knew she understood. "We gotta start watching that. Daryl, me, and we'll take T-dog and Sasha."

"Sasha?" Tyrese asked.

"She's got the best aim of everyone 'sides Daryl," Rick answered. "We need people who can hit their target and she's good at that."

Tyrese nodded. "Yah. I know." He said shoulders slumped in defeat. "And I know she'd want to go."

"Right now we're on offense. They don't know about us and we know everything about them. We're going in with the advantage which is why we can't afford to wait," Rick explained.

"Just... Don't fucking get separated, ok?" Tyrese said.

"Ain't nothing gonna happen to her," Daryl said in his soft, calm voice. "Like Rick said, they don't even know we exist. Everything is in our favor here."

Rick nodded to Daryl, holding his eyes long enough to show he was pleased to hear him speak up. They still spoke without words and Daryl thought those were some of the best conversations- just reading each others' eyes intimately.

"Let's have someone sorta keeping an eye on the kid.... Uh, Randall ...today." Rick turned to Glenn. "Don't care who it is, maybe Maggie? Don't want him getting any crazy ideas of trying to sneak out and follow us to get vengeance in person. He'd be a liability."

Glenn nodded. "Maggie will do it."

\------

T-dog, Sasha, Rick and Daryl were heading out by 8:30 a.m. It was going to be a bit of a walk, but they didn't want to give themselves away with the sound of a vehicle.

They'd decided to head towards Grantville. Since Randall had mentioned taking a few of his captor's weapons when he escaped, the need to restock would probably be even higher on their list of things to do than it already was. 

They passed the cabin, door still hanging off the hinges. Daryl saw what had to be Rick's blood saturating the grass at the front entrance. 

Rick put a hand on Daryl's shoulder and guided him away. They didn't need to stop here. They'd raided it for supplies when they brought back Randall.

They stuck to the woods, but near enough to the road that they'd hear a car.

After about 2 hours of walking, Daryl held up a hand. (A way of getting everyone's attention that he'd picked up from Rick). They watched and Daryl knelt and focused on the ground near him, looking around. "A group camped here." He got up and walked around slowly, examining every footstep, disturbance, depression in the leaves. "Four bodies slept here. Fire pit in the middle." He put his hands down and wiped away some dirt to uncover grey ash, then picked some up and let it fall through his fingers. "Not as cool as the ground. Probably where they stayed last night. We're close. Need to walk quieter," he said and glared at Rick, who responded with an apologetic expression. Rick knew Daryl often got frustrated at him for not mastering the skill of moving silently through the woods. Daryl could read him. He was trying. 

They started moving slower, Daryl at the lead as he watched the ground for signs of movement and direction changes.

Rick was fascinated watching his lover in this role. His heart would thump harder every time he stopped and spoke. When he'd hold up his hand to halt the group, Rick could see his arm muscles flex and it gave him butterflies to know the hunter was his. Actual damn butterflies. Daryl's face was so serious as he examined spots on the ground. His intensity was mesmerizing. 

After another twenty minutes, Daryl studied the ground again. Saw two walkers dispatched by head shots not far from some scuffle marks. "Ran into them here." Daryl studied the holes in their head. Noticed the way some of the skin around it was pulled outward instead of in. "Crossbow. Pulled out their bolts after. This has got to be them."

Laying nearby was a smaller third body. Daryl leaned in and motioned for Rick. "This one ain't a walker. He's a fresh kill done before he turned. Looks like a knife here to the head. Dontcha think?" Rick nodded. Daryl stood slowly and backed away. "Jesus. Young," he murmured 

Rick rolled the body. Blood stained the back of his pants and his arms were tied behind him with rope. "They were usin' him same as they used the other two," Rick said. He pointed to the body's forearm. "Bit."

Daryl bent back down and rested a hand on the boy's cheek. "Not cold yet," he said and quickly and tightened the grip on his crossbow. 

The hunter felt blood pumping through his veins. Like he'd spent a whole day trackin' a buck and just found signs in the ground that his kill was close. Very close.

They started walking in short bursts. Ten minutes, slowly. Then Daryl raised a hand. Listened. Moved forward again. After their third stop like that, Daryl motioned to the others, asking if they heard what he did. Everyone was silent and then a far off laugh caught in the air. Sasha pointed to the right and they moved even slower.

Rick was using every trick Daryl had taught him with each footstep, trying desperately to keep silent.

At another point T-dog raised a hand and pointed. Ahead through the foliage was a man in a camouflaged T-shirt. Short guy. Taking a piss alone.

Rick glanced at Daryl, speaking without words- make sure you are certain. Daryl mouthed, "It's them." He sighted up his crossbow and at the sound of a zipper, Daryl let a bolt loose and the man fell backwards without making a sound. They stayed silent. Heard a car door slam. They were still close to the road.

"Cmon, Danny. Fuck. Are you pissin' or jerkin' off?" a man yelled. Daryl squatted and was able to change his angle to allow him a visual of the man. Black guy. Bald. Crossbow over his shoulder. He motioned for the others to squat and look.

T-dog had been silent by Daryl's side. He whispered, "If they don't get a response, they'll arm up to search. Should go in now. Hot and fast."

Daryl looked to Rick, who nodded and used his eyes to point Daryl up to the road. He pointed for T and Sasha to go around and motioned for them to take out the man who had spoken.

Two and two they moved to surround the vehicle. Two men were in the car. One had a ponytail, one short spiky hair. Daryl was certain there was a rabbit's foot and a fucked-up thumb in there too.

Rick and Daryl were as close to the car as they could get without being seen. They waited for Sasha to get her shot. The bald man's head split open, and he dropped. Neither Rick nor Daryl even heard the slight sound of the silencer.

They moved quickly up the embankment at the same moment that the two in the car became aware they were under attack. A bolt and a bullet were simultaneously shot, the bullet heading into the driver's side windshield and the bolt through the open passenger side window. Both men in the car moved at the last moment. The driver jumped out on foot and ran. The other fell out wounded but not dead.

Sasha and T had reached the injured man first, weapons trained on him. Daryl stood over him and looked down.

"No man- You can take all our shit. Please don't kill me," he pleaded.

Daryl leaned down and held up the man's broken, bruised thumb. "You fucked with the wrong people," he said and pulled the arrow from his shoulder, then stabbed it back down into his forehead. He wiped it on his pants and loaded it back in the crossbow.

Daryl then walked over to the big bald guy Sasha had dropped. Just like the kid said- a damn fine looking crossbow! He took it, and the quiver, and kicked the corpse in the ribs for no reason. He held his new find up to the group. "Sweet," he said with a smirk. 

It was getting late and they had a long walk back. Rick was still watching the woods where the runner went.

"T, Sasha- why don't you two head back on foot. We'll track down this last one, come back this way and we can take the car if it's too dark to walk it safely." Rick said. 

Sasha and T nodded in agreement.

Daryl handed T his new crossbow. "You mind bringin' this back?" the hunter asked. 

T smiled and took it. "Yah, I got ya," he said.

"Be safe. Don't try for too long. It's only one guy now," Sasha said as they turned to head back. "Probably gonna get himself killed somehow soon enough."

"Yah, we'll just try for a bit," Rick said and nodded, though he knew Daryl would not stop until the last one was killed. Which meant Rick wouldn't stop either.

The sun was telling Daryl it was about 4. Probably another 2-3 hours of good light. They moved through the woods at a steady pace, Daryl's eyes reading the ground as they went. Weren't in a hurry. Knew the man would run himself out.

"He have a weapon on 'im?" Rick whispered.

"Couldn't tell," Daryl responded quietly. As before, they would stop once in a while and listen.

They came to a spot in the woods that interested Daryl and he focused on it like a dog catching scent of a squirrel. He looked closely at a branch on the ground, found the tree it came from and smelled the raw wood from the break. He looked all around the wooded canopy, then at Rick. "Just happened. He's looking for a tree to climb. Hide. Wait us out. If he's got a weapon. He's got the higher ground somewhere. Gotta be careful, eyes up." Rick nodded.

\-----

They moved slow. Rick kept his eyes scanning the canopy before them. Daryl still reading the ground.

Daryl felt it before he heard it. His right leg buckled a bit and as he registered the sound of the shot. Rick moved ahead of him aiming his weapon towards the sound and firing a silenced bullet into the trees. A man dropped and hit the ground. Rick quickly looked at Daryl. "Just scraped me. 'M fine," Daryl muttered, and both men moved to the sound of whining at the base of a large, thick maple tree.

The fall hadn't killed him, neither had the bullet, but he was in bad shape.

Daryl stood over his chest, put a knee on it, a hand on his forehead and yanked the rabbit's foot off his neck, chain breaking and swaying. He stuffed it in his pocket.

"Fuck. Think I broke my fuckin' back," the man on the ground moaned.

"That's the least of your problems today, motherfucker," Daryl sneered, putting that knee back on his chest, yanking his hair back by his ponytail so that his chin was forced out.

"Daryl. Just put a knife in 'im and let's go," Rick said softly.

Daryl glared at him. Looked back to ponytail.

"He don't deserve it fast," Daryl said, meeting the man's stare. Seeing his Pa in the man's eyes.

"I ain't done nothin' man. You guys pulled on us. I didn't even shoot back. Just ran. Left ya be."

"You leave everyone be that you run 'cross?"

"What are ya talkin about man?"

"You lose a boy lately? A little battered and beaten but no worse for wear?"

The man said nothing, eyes darting.

Daryl slowly pulled his long knife from its sheath on his belt. He pressed the tip of it to ponytail's chin.

"You left another one dead just a little ways back. Looked about what, 12?"

"That fucker got bit, that ain't on me."

Daryl pressed the blade til a trickle of blood ran down the man's chin. "Might not 'a got bit if his hands weren't tied behind his back."

Daryl continued slowly, "So you know- I'm gonna shove this blade all the way through to the top of your skull. But I'm gonna take my time. Make sure you feel it. Sink into your chin. Feel the pop as it goes into your jaw. Then it will slide right through your tongue. That will be rough cause by that point you'll be choking on your own blood." Daryl pushed the knife in a little. Blood started flowing heavier down the man's chin. "Mmm- must be at the base of your jaw now. Next push should pop through. Don't worry though. Gonna put you on your side so you don't choke on it. That way, you'll get to feel it go up into your nasal cavity and..."

The man's head burst apart. Daryl turned to Rick, who was putting his gun back. "Daryl. You gotta let it go. We got them all. It's over."

"What the FUCK, Rick!?" He leapt off the man and tore towards Rick, pushing against his chest. "That was my fucking kill!"

"It's not a deer, Daryl. It's a person. Don't take this much pleasure in it."

"He was an ANIMAL!" Daryl shouted. "God damnit!!"

Daryl went back to the body and kicked at the ribs. Hard. Grabbed his knife back and used two hands to repeatedly stab at what was left of the head.

Rick watched. Decided to let him wear himself out. He leaned against a tree, arms crossed and waited while Daryl cursed and kicked and stabbed.

Finally the hunter was out of breath and a pile of flesh covered broken, bloodied, mangled bones lay before him.

He looked over at Rick.

"Getting dark. Let's get back to the car," Rick said and he started walking ahead as Daryl followed.

Once they hit the road, Rick climbed into the drivers seat and Daryl got in shotgun. Rick turned the ignition. The piece-of-shit wouldn't start. He turned it over several more times. Nothing.

They looked at each other. "Goddammit," they said in unison.

Back out and walking at a faster pace this time, they were able to get to the cabin before dark. They'd run into a handful of walkers on the way. Rick let Daryl do the honors for each. He used his knife each time with little fanfare.

"Better just wait it out here. Getting too dark," Rick said.

"Mmhmm" Daryl said. They went in, checking each room to make sure no walkers had slipped in. Daryl tried to put the door back in place and they wordlessly moved a china closet against it.

They kicked off shoes, put guns and knives on the coffee table, shrugged off backpacks and sat down on separate couches in an informal living room.

The men just stared at each other.

"You mad at me?" Daryl asked.

"No."

After several minutes of silence, Daryl said, "'Cause it seems like you're mad."

"Just feel... Sad for you. You were shovin' that knife into more than one man tonight."

Daryl glared.

"Wondering if I shouldn't have just let ya do it your way. Get rid a yer demons old-school style," Rick continued.

Daryl said nothing.

"Wish I knew more about you. That's all," Rick said.

"You wanna hear my sad story? Fuck, Rick. Everyone's story is sad now. It don't mean dick anymore."

"Seemed like it meant something to you out there tonight."

"You gonna order me ta talk?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Cause I know you won't and I don't want you to deny me so I'm just not going to ask."

"Well, you're right. I won't talk. You got the gist. It was a shitty childhood. This is the apocalypse, not psychotherapy."

Rick forced a sad smile. "Good point."

Daryl stood and paced. Still tense.

"I want you to relax," Rick said. "Ain't gonna make you talk. But I want you to settle the fuck down."

"Make me." Daryl said challengingly. He still felt amped up from the day.

"Are you looking for a fight, Daryl?" Rick asked calmly. "'Cause you can hit me if you want."

"WHAT?" Daryl asked incredulously.

"You've offered yourself before."

"No," Daryl said.

"Then what do you want? What can I do?"

Daryl knelt on the floor at Rick's feet and rested his head on his leader's knees.

"I don't know," Daryl whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What does Daryl want/need right now? I don't know! You guys have any ideas? Comments and feedback are always appreciated and often used as inspiration in future chapters. 
> 
> Thanks as always for reading! 
> 
> Recommendation of the day: Trapped in Gaze by msbt. If you like dom!rick and sub!daryl, then this is a must-read!! Check it out!!!


	24. Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting out the night in a cabin, Rick and Daryl comfort each other emotionally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I mentioned how awesome my beta reader Skarlatha is? (See End Notes for more on this..)

Rick's entire body tingled at the sight of Daryl coming to his knees before him, the hunter resting his forehead on his leader's thighs. It wasn't a tingle that stirred from his cock, but from his chest as the hunter bowed before him in supplication, believing that only Rick can help him.

Rick put his hands on either side of Daryl's head and kissed him on the crown. "'s gonna be ok," he whispered.

"I'm so fucking weak. No wonder I always do what you say," Daryl said softly.

"You always do what I say because you're in love with me," Rick said, happy to have that now. "Not because you're weak."

Daryl looked up to meet Rick's eyes. "I don't want to feel..." Daryl searched for the right word. "...so dark. I don't have a right to."

"You have a right to feel however you feel."

"I don't."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause the apocalypse is the best thing that ever happened to me. I got family now. Friends. A roof over my head. I got you. I'm needed. Wanted. Never had any a' that before. I ain't got no right to be brooding cause stuff sucked once. 'Cause everyone else may have better memories, but the stuff that sucks for them is now. I'm the lucky one."

"Daryl. Stop. Thinking," Rick said, enunciating each word carefully.

He still remained before Rick, eyes begging for comfort, pleading for Rick to help him.

"I'm failing you," Rick said somberly. "I promised you I'd take it all away and I haven't been able to follow through with that promise." Rick ran his fingers through Daryl's hair, gazing into his lover's dark blue eyes. "I'm sorry."

Daryl didn't know how to respond. Nothin' was Rick's fault. But he could tell the weight hung heavy on his leader's shoulders. "You're giving me what I need by just bein' here. Bein'... mine." He tested the word on his tongue.

Rick reached over for his backpack, switching gears. "We haven't eaten all day." He pulled a couple stale-as-shit protein bars from the side pocket.

"Ain't hungry," Daryl mumbled, resting back on his heels.

"Don't care," Rick said and tore off a piece of the first bar, holding it to Daryl's lips. "Eat."

Daryl opened his mouth and took it. Rick broke another piece off for himself. As he chewed, he said, "I miss Pop-Tarts."

The randomness of the comment brought a small smile to Daryl's face. "Fucking Pop-Tarts? THAT's what you miss?" Daryl asked.

Rick held out another piece of the bar for Daryl and he took it obediently.

"Blueberry," Rick said with sarcastic wistfulness. He popped another chunk of stale granola into his own mouth. 

"Probably can still find some. 'n fact I bet there's stores all over the country that have been looted clean of everything 'cept the Pop-Tart section," Daryl mused.  
Rick smiled and held up the last piece of the protein bar for Daryl. The hunter opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue like he was taking communion. Rick placed it on his lover's tongue and made the sign of the cross: "name a the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen," and he laughed at himself.

Opening the second granola bar, Rick said, "I don't miss church. Lori made me go. Now look at all the time I wasted." He broke off a piece of the second bar and ate it.

"So you don't believe there's heaven waiting for us after all this shit?" Daryl asked, his tone bordering between sarcasm and genuine curiosity.

"There's an insatiable appetite for human flesh waiting for us and after that, nothing." He held up another piece of the bar for Daryl, who took it again and chewed.

"I never went. To church. Probably woulda hated it. Just a bunch a talkin' and shit. Be bored to death."

Rick broke the last piece of the bar in half, popped one in his own mouth and reached to Daryl's lips with the other. Both men chewed silently.

"Yah," Rick said as he tossed the wrappers from both bars onto an end table. "You'd have hated it."

"I get it though." Daryl said. "People want to believe in nice things. Don't like what they can't understand. Want to believe in... meaning and purpose."

"I think Lori made us go more out of fearin' hell than promises 'a heaven," Rick said. "And the forgiveness. Catholics. They'll forgive ya for all kinds 'a shit. Cheated on me with Shane for years and figured if her ass was in a pew every Sunday, the pearly gates would open for her..."

"You miss Lori?" Daryl asked.

"I miss Carl."

Daryl thought back to the worst day they'd had. The walker horde coming down on the Greene's farm. Glenn had been the one who saw Lori and Carl overtaken and had to tell Rick there was no need to go back searching. They were gone.

Rick continued, "Part of me misses him selfishly. Wishin' he was still with me just 'cause I WANT him to be with me. Sometimes I'm glad he's not here like... what if we got separated. Ended up in Randall's situation... or worse. If there is worse." Rick just stopped talking and leaned back into the couch, deep in thought. 

Daryl missed the kid too. He couldn't imagine the level of grief that loss must cause his leader. The silence hung in the air.

"I miss ice cream," Daryl said pensively.   
Rick half smiled, glad Daryl reached in and pulled him out of sinking into haunted memories. "Awwww.... Ice cream. Yah," Rick moaned. "Rocky road."

"Mint chocolate chip," Daryl said. 

"Cone or bowl?" Rick asked.

"Cone. Definitely."

"Yah, Waffle cone. Sprinkles."

"Sprinkles? What are you, a little girl?" Daryl laughed. "Blueberry Pop-Tarts and Sprinkles. Jesus." He shook his head, smiling.

Rick looked down at his gorgeous hunter, still on his knees. Smiling. He loved that smile. He felt like he needed that smile more than he needed air. His eyes gazed down to take in all of Daryl and he noticed the dark stain of blood around his knee. "That bullet graze hurt? We should look at that." Rick patted the couch for Daryl to sit and reached into his bag for the first aid kit.

The hunter stood and peeled off his jeans. They stuck to his right calf from the blood. Rick moved to kneel in front of Daryl to examine it. It had clotted and stopped bleeding, but it was deeper than Rick had imagined. And dark red. "Fuck, Daryl. That's more than a goddamn graze." He grabbed Daryl's jeans and pulled a handkerchief out of the back pocket, one he knew was always there. "Hand me your canteen," he said, still focused on the wound. Daryl leaned over and grabbed it from his bag, handing it to his leader. Rick poured some water over the bloody gash, patting at it with the hankerchief.

"It's a graze. Just a little deep 's all," Daryl said as he was leaning over to get a look at it himself.

Rick dug through the first aid kit, searching for anything that might help and found a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "This is gonna sting," Rick said as he unscrewed the top.

"Good," Daryl said, always welcoming pain like he deserved it, like it was owed to him. He didn't even wince as the peroxide bubbled in the wound.

Rick dumped the kit on the floor looking for some kind of gauze or bandages, but only found a couple of small Band-Aids that were nowhere near big enough to cover the wound. He pulled off his T-shirt and ripped it into strips. Fighting it a few times and using Daryl's knife to get the tears started. "Gonna wrap it up, ok?"

"Mmhmm," Daryl said. Rick folded up the hankerchief and pressed it against Daryl's calf and used the strips of shirt to tie it into place as best he could. He looked displeased with his work. "Well, we'll keep it covered up tonight anyway. Not sure that'll stay when you're walkin' on it."

"It'll be ok," Daryl said, blowing it off.

As Rick looked up, his eyes landed on the horizontal razor scars along his lover's inner thighs. He thought back to Daryl's comment about 'feeling dark' and wondered what would have happened if the hunter had been alone, stayed 'dark'. "When was the last time you thought about cutting yourself?"  
"'bout an hour ago," Daryl answered.

"Why didn't ya?" Rick asked as he fidgited with the hankerchief and shirt ties again.

"You told me not to."  
"You still thinkin' about it?" 

Daryl shook his head. "Nah."

"What are you thinking about?"

"You. Sitting in a clean kitchen with running water. Wearing your old sheriff's uniform. Reading a newspaper. Eatin' a Pop-Tart 'fore work."

Rick smiled. "Rather be here than there," he said.

"No, you wouldn't."

"You don't speak for me, Daryl," Rick said softly but firmly. "Don't matter what used to be. All that matters is now. All I want is here and now." Rick leaned back onto his knees, looking up at Daryl, and continued. "I don't daydream about running water and clean kitchens. I daydream about you."

Daryl blushed, uncomfortable with sitting higher than his leader, and still not used to hearing kind, loving words from anyone.

Rick smiled. "You were so fucking sexy doing your thing in the woods today. Tracking, holding your hand up to command everyone's attention, studying the ground so intently." Rick sighed. "And you did it. You found them. You're amazing."

Daryl shrugged uncomfortably at the praise. "'s nothin'."

"I am so in love with you, Daryl Dixon," Rick whispered.

Daryl tried to hide his smile behind his long bangs. He slid off the couch to his knees facing Rick. "I love you, too." The words still felt so foreign. Before Rick he'd never used them. Not to anyone. Ever.

They knelt before one another just looking into each other's eyes, completely content.

"Rick?"

"Yah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yah."

Daryl leaned forward and took Rick's face in his hands, pressed his lips to Rick's and parted his mouth, inviting his lover in. Rick gently kissed back, softly. He wrapped his arms around his hunter but kept his lips and tongue gentle and soft.

As their lips parted for breath, Daryl whispered, "I feel better now."

Rick smiled. "Good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the feedback throughout this story. I've been having a lot of fun doing this and am so glad other people are enjoying the stuff that's coming out of my head! 
> 
> Recommendation time:  
> While you are waiting for my next chapter, I've got something really amazing for you! It's a Rickyl fic. It's book-length, it's got so much angst and pinning and it's written like sheer poetry. I'm only half-way through it but I wanted to tell everyone about it now. It's written by my unbelievably talented beta reader- Skarlatha. Title is Shadows Where I Stand. You will be sucked in immediately!


	25. Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick's worries and stresses start to overwhelm him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie... I had a bout with writers block on this one, but hopefully I pulled through ok with this chapter. As usual, skarlatha's edits, comments and input were invaluable. She also gives great pep talks!

Rick took first watch after he coaxed Daryl into sleep. He slowly wandered from room to room looking out windows, then circling back to check on his lover, curled up on that couch in the fetal position in his boxers and a sleeveless t-shirt.

He looked like he should've been a snorer, but Rick doesn't think he's ever heard him even once. He had soft peaceful breaths and delicately closed eyes. Looked like an angel when he was sleeping. Always brought a smile to Rick's lips. His strong yet obedient hunter asleep, just totally innocent and childlike in his slumber.

Rick slowly walked back for another loop through the small cabin, practicing walking softly. He'd put Daryl to bed with just soft kisses and whispers. He didn't want to end the day with sex. Rick was selfish. He knew it. He was afraid the events of the day would swirl into Daryl's mind and Rick wouldn't be his focus. So even when Daryl kissed more passionately and moved his body in obvious want, Rick kept it chaste and simple, eventually telling him to sleep and running his fingers through the hunter's long dark hair as he drifted off.

Rick had seen Daryl angry plenty. More often before they'd started fucking than after. Not that it was just fucking. It was definitely more now. And he liked to take some credit that he'd maybe been part of the reason Daryl was more relaxed lately. But he'd never seen the level of raw emotion in that anger like he did when Daryl kicked and stabbed and cussed at Randall's attacker.

Rick squinted out the window, saw nothing and leaned against the wall to watch his hunter sleep. He tried not to think about what was in Daryl's mind while he was lashing out like a wild animal. He was certain all it would do was make Rick seethe with anger too, and they couldn't afford to have both of them killing with that much glee, even if their victims deserved it.

There was a fine line that needed to be balanced living in the apocalypse. Lots of fine lines, actually. Between sanity and the brink of madness, between trust and suspicion, caution and paranoia, hope and despair, control and the complete loss of it. 

Rick used to think those mandatory shrink sessions on the force were a ridiculous waste of time, but what he wouldn't do now for his people to have access to a therapist. All the people they had at the prison, and no one could bring that expertise to the table. They had vet techs, accountants, IT workers, a fucking pizza delivery guy. But no one that could make sense of what was happening to the fragile state of the human psyche when the world around them had fallen so dark.

Rick knows he's been to he brink and back himself. And more than once. The more he thinks about it, he figures the shrinks would probably be the first to crack. 

Daryl stirred in his sleep. Mumbled a little and changed positions so that he was stretched out on his back with one forearm covering his eyes. Rick walked past on his way to another loop through the cabin and bent down to check that Daryl's calf was still covered and it was.

After exactly three hours of sleep, Daryl's eyes blinked open. He had the most in-tune internal clock of anyone Rick had ever met. He'd been standing by the couch watching when the hunter woke.

"What 'r you lookin' at me for?" he said in a sleep-groggy voice. "'Sposed to be protectin' me from walkers, not protectin' them from me."

"I was," Rick said and strolled back to the window. "Just stopped to stretch for a second."

"Yer turn ta sleep anyways," Daryl said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

Rick peeked out the window and came back to the couch to sit with Daryl. "Not tired," he said

"Don't care," Daryl said, in a modest attempt to duplicate Rick's command to eat from that evening.

Rick laughed lightly, "Yahhh... It doesn't work that way."

Daryl shrugged. "Thought I'd give it a shot."

Daryl stood. He chose his gun instead of the crossbow because of the tight quarters and looked back over at Rick, who had his arms folded behind his head just leaning back, eyes still wide and alert. Clearly he'd been staring at Daryl's ass.

"Seriously, Rick. You barely slept LAST night. You're still recovering from being shot. You gotta rest. Can't control that."

Rick arched an eyebrow challenging Daryl, silently scolding him for making the demands.

"What are ya gonna do, punish me for wanting you to be well-rested?" Daryl grinned. "Cause y'know, I'll just like that."

"Hate to lose an opportunity. Got the whole place to ourselves," Rick said.

"And who's gonna be on watch?" Daryl asked, trying to be serious again.

"Are you arguing with me?"

"Yes," Daryl said defiantly.

Rick stood, thrusting his fingers in his belt loops and cocking his head.

"You gotta stop tryin' ta control things you can't control. You MOVE slower when you haven't slept. Your reflexes are off. I see you. I watch you. I know. Can't afford that in this world no matter how much you wanna fuck me right now."

"So you don't want me right now?" Rick asked.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "I want you every second of every damn day. But I can't kiss you or love you or fuck you if you're dead. Why do you have to be so fucking stubborn all the time?"

A defiant Daryl was doing all sorts of things to Rick. It turned him on to see his lover's strength and intensity, but he still had a desire, a need, a primal urge to get what he wanted and to have Daryl obey him. He was crazy with want. He knew Daryl was right, but Rick wanted to be the one making the decisions. He knew it was probably a sickness, or at the very least a terrible personality trait. But it couldn't be any worse than Daryl's need to be punished. They were both broken, both fucked up. And both needed each other.

Daryl walked out of the room to check the other windows when he didn't get an immediate response from Rick.

When he returned, Rick was laying on the couch but still awake.

"Why do you like it so much when I'm spanking you?" Rick asked nonchalantly.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "I d'know," he mumbles as he bends down to peek out the front window again.

Rick sighed. It was hard to get information out of him when he was focusing. He was actually jealous. Jealous that Daryl was focusing more on the walker threat than on him. He knew it was insane. But he couldn't control it.

He knew he was tired. Knew he was still thinkin' about being responsible for Carl and Lori. Still thinkin' the same old "what ifs" that always plagued him. Still worried about the future- long term, the upcoming winter. How much longer there would be towns near enough to loot from. He felt like he was coming apart and he hated that. Hated it.

When Daryl came back in, Rick was sitting up with his head in his hands, gripping at his hair.

"What is it?" Daryl asked.

"Just stressed," Rick said in a rather uncharacteristic pout.

Daryl sat defeated across from him on the coffee table, eying out the window behind his head.

"What do you need?" he asked softly.

"You."

Daryl put his gun down, glanced up through the window again, knelt between Rick's legs and leaned up to kiss him.

Rick returned the kisses hard and hungrily. He pulled Daryl's shirt off over his head and tossed it aside, then pulled off his own.

As they broke apart Rick saw Daryl's eyes bounce back to the window and he felt that red hot rage that he couldn't control. That was the problem- to be a control freak when you couldn't even control yourself. He gripped Daryl's arm, twisted it behind his back pushing him down on the coffee table. "I want your attention," Rick growled, immediately hating himself for the uncontrollable aggression. Daryl fought below him. "Rick, stop," Daryl said softly, remembering that same arm twist in the showers from months ago and recognizing the anger and loss of control in his leader's voice.

"You don't tell me what to do, goddammit, I tell you." Rick's voice shook with fury as he spoke.

As Daryl struggled against the hold on his arm, he thought back to that morning in the cafeteria and the venomous sound of Rick's voice as he was losing control. He heard that same dip into madness again and his stomach turned. Before the leader could say another word, Daryl quickly shouted, "Breakfast!" As Rick loosened his grip the hunter ripped his arm away, picked up the gun and went back to the other side of the house. 

Rick fell to his knees. He never thought Daryl would actually use that safe word. Never thought he'd be that aggressive again that he'd need to. He felt like a monster. That he could do so wrong by his touch that the lover who almost comes from being smacked on the ass would pull away from him. He put his head back in his hands, pulling at his hair.

Tears filled his eyes. He hated feeling out of control. He was so tired and angry and anxious and now, with Daryl's denial, depressed.

He crawled back up on the couch and curled up with silent tears steaming down his face. He heard Daryl's footsteps going back to the front window. Heard him pick up his shirt and tug it back on.

"I'm sorry," Rick whispered.

"I know."

"I don't know what to do right now," Rick said with as steady a voice as he could muster.

"You're tired," Daryl responded flatly. "Go to sleep, ok?"

\----------

When Rick woke he could tell he'd slept too long. The sun from the windows was coming in through too high of an angle. He sat up quickly and looked around. Daryl was sitting in a chair by the window fidgeting with one of his bolts.

"Mornin', sleepin' beauty," Daryl said.

"What time is it?"

Daryl ducked his head down to look out the window. "'bout 10:30"

"Christ! We gotta get back. They're gonna be worried."

"You needed the sleep. Couldn't wake ya," Daryl said affectionately.

Rick reached for his shirt and suddenly remembered the way the night ended. Daryl saw him grow rigid and move slower as he pulled on the shirt and knew it was just dawning on him.

"You can punish me back at the prison if ya need ta'," Daryl said.

Rick faced him. "I still don't know how this works either but I'm pretty sure your not 'sposed to get punished for using your safe word. Kinda defeats the purpose."

Daryl shrugged. "Whatever. Maybe I should punish you then." He smirked.

Rick was both relieved and perplexed as to how Daryl could be taking this so lightly. He seemed completely unfazed like nothing had changed. But Rick knew he crossed a line. What was supposed to happen now?

"Maybe you should," Rick said quietly.

Daryl stood and tossed a bag of half-eaten deer jerky over to Rick. "Here. Breakfast." He winced at his poor word choice immediately. "Uh, sorry- I mean it's more like brunch."

Rick didn't know whether to laugh or cry and the sound that came out of his mouth was a little of both.

"Rick, you were stressed and you were tired. It just wasn't... going right. It's fine. It's over. You listened when I used it. That's the way it was 'sposed to work, right?"

"Fuck if I know," Rick said, gnawing on a piece of jerky.

"It's a good thing we been takin' turns having our respective nervous breakdowns. Least one of us is thinkin' straight at any given moment," Daryl said.

"Don't think either of us thinks straight anymore," Rick said with a deadpan expression and a glance up and down Daryl's body.

"Oh, a pun. Good for you, Rick. I think that means your nervous breakdown is over," Daryl said and started packing up his bag for the walk back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback (good and bad!) are always welcomed and are greedily devoured!


	26. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Daryl arrive safely back at the prison. Rick seeks out help.

Rick and Daryl left the cabin heading towards the prison knowing they had a good hour or so of walking ahead of them. They moved together silently at first, though Daryl knew Rick's mind was churning and churning trying to figure out more ways to apologize.

Most of the walk was a comfortable silence for Daryl. He still loved the woods even with the threat of walkers, and he loved being alone with Rick.

His leg didn't bother him at all and he'd told Rick that. But Daryl knew he didn't believe it and caught his lover glancing down at it every so often.

Breaking the silence, Daryl said, "It don't hurt. I swear." 

The leader cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. "You could get your whole damn arm ripped off and you'd claim it don't hurt," he grumbled. 

Daryl smiled. They came much easier for him these past few months. "I don't know what to tell ya, I'm a tough son of a bitch," he replied.

Daryl knew Rick's mind was filled with noise. Knew he still worried about crossing the line last night. Knew there was no way he could say anything to make Rick stop worrying about it. Knew he was trying extra hard to walk silently. He was failing, but he was trying.

Knew his head was swirling with details. Winter coming. Nearby towns runnin' dry of supplies. Despite there being a council to share the burden of worry and the responsibility of decisions, Daryl knew Rick kept it on his own shoulders anyway.

He knew Rick better than he knew himself. And he actually took some of the blame for the night before because Daryl KNEW Rick was coming unglued. And frankly, he wasn't surprised that he had burst into anger like he did. He had seen it coming. Felt it. But didn't know what to do about it. 

He guessed he should have kept himself from being sucked into Rick's desperate kisses. Should have just kept reinforcing the need to stay on guard. He knew he was sometimes helpless around Rick. He was so consumed by the need to be his and to love him and be loved by him, that it was hard to make smart decisions sometimes. He guessed that was part of the reason Maggie still held Rick at arm's length and worried so much over the dynamics of their relationship. She and Daryl had grown close despite his attempts to protect himself from close relationships. There was nothing closer than what he had with Rick, so when he and Maggie's friendship bloomed, he just gave up on fighting it.

After thirty minutes of moving quickly and relatively quietly back towards the prison, Daryl knowin' that Rick was still beating himself up over the safe word, the hunter said, "Rick, I told you, there's nothin' else needs said."

Rick just grunted. He kept his eyes darting back and forth on guard for danger and focused on his footfalls, trying to show Daryl that he was starting to learn.

When his steps started clomping hard again Daryl knew he'd moved from worryin' about Daryl to worryin' about the stability of the prison.

"You wanna talk about it out loud? I'm on the council. We should start thinking about winter. About supplies. Right?"

Rick looked over, stifling a smirk that was playing against his lips. "This is why we can't play poker together anymore. Stop reading my mind and let me be grumpy and stubborn."

Daryl laughed and it made Rick stop fighting his smile. "They're gonna be glad to see us," Daryl said. "Been a while since any a' us have been caught out overnight."

"Probably already out lookin'," Rick agreed. "Woulda taken one of the vehicles out to the car we were supposed to drive back in last night. Seen that it don't run. Probably know already that we tried for the cabin."

Daryl nodded.

As the prison came into sight, the men could see that things were stable. A few walkers at the gate, but someone behind the fence was on duty and dispatching them. They dropped one by one.

Before they came into view, Daryl stopped Rick. Kissed him gently and whispered, "Please stop beating yourself up. You're perfect and I love you. I love everything about you."

Rick was speechless as Daryl turned and walked ahead towards the prison. It was the most verbal the man had been about his feelings. And of all times to say so much, he does it after a night like last night? Rick was perplexed. He took a few quick steps to catch up so he could feel Daryl at his side as they walked into the open field in front of the prison.

Tyrese noticed them first and opened the gate, jogging out to meet them. "Ya both ok?" Tyrese asked, clapping a hand on Daryl's back.

"Yup, no problems," Rick said. "Everything ok here?"

Tyrese nodded. "T, Michonne and Sasha just got back a bit ago. Went out lookin' for ya and saw the car was shit. Tracked ya to the cabin and figured you were heading back on foot. If you'd a slept in a little more you coulda caught a ride," he said, smiling, still pleased to see them home and safe.

"Tracked us to the cabin, huh? How'd they know we was there?" Daryl asked, impressed. And also gloating a bit knowing that he'd taught them ALL how to track. Tickled that some of it must have stuck.

"Protein bar wrappers. Saw a little bit a' blood though," he said and pointed to Daryl's calf at the stiff blood-caked jeans. "Didn't look like enough to worry, but that looks bad, y'ok?"

"Just a graze. Got our guy though," Daryl said with a smile.

"Had no doubt about that." Tyrese beamed.

As they walked in the door, Maggie was running toward them. She threw her arms around Daryl and kissed his cheek. "I've been worried sick!" 

Daryl apologized. "Sorry, Mags." He'd grown almost as accustomed to her touch as to Rick's. Very different kinds of touches, but he'd found himself flinching less and less at Maggie's hand until he almost found comfort in the friendly hugs and pats on the back. He was glad to be home.

She turned to Rick and gave him a tight, sincere hug too. Daryl was thrilled to see her do that. Maybe the brief fear of losing them was enough for her to look at him in a new light. Look at him like Rick again, instead of just the guy she didn't want mistreating her friend.

"Come get somethin' ta eat," she said, putting an arm through each of theirs.

Daryl looked around. "Where's Randall?" he asked.

"In his cell," Maggie said, stopping. "Yah, ya should probably tell him you're back. He's freakin' out worryin' somethin' happened to y'all, thinkin' it's his fault."

"I'll meet you in the cafeteria," he said to Rick and Maggie. "I'll stop by his room first and drop our stuff off in ours." Rick smiled at the hunter's words. There'd been no talk of formally sharing a cell again, although they slept together in one or the other's every night. The sound of "ours" was beautiful on Daryl's lips.

He reached for Rick's backpack at the same time that Rick started shrugging it off and as he took it, he gave his leader a quick peck on the lips. Maggie didn't even roll her eyes.

*******  
Randall leapt to his feet as soon as he saw Daryl and looked past him. "Rick?" he asked.

"Downstairs. Everyone's fine," Daryl answered, pleased to see Randall's concern. "Well, not everyone," he continued, pulling the rabbit's foot necklace out of his pocket. He tossed it through the still-closed bars of Randall's room and the boy caught it and looked back up to Daryl. "Burn it. Bury it. Whatever you need to do. Just wanted to bring you proof that we got 'em. All four."

Daryl walked away, heading to Rick's cell to drop their bags. He heard Randall's door open and the kid's quick footsteps padding after him.

"Thank you," he said as he kept pace with Daryl.

" 's nothin'," he replied without stopping.

"Daryl?" Randall started. "Tyrese told me I'd be helping in the garden, but I can help... Outside the walls. I'm able-bodied. Young. Strong. It'd be a waste not to use me for more." Daryl stopped and looked over at the eager young boy. "I want to be valuable," Randall said, eyes determined.

After a moment of thought the hunter responded, "Not sure you're ready." 

"Why not?"

Daryl sighed heavily. The kid had just been raped and saw his girlfriend murdered. Daryl felt fairly certain that if he lost Rick he would just forget to breathe and die himself. And Daryl was strong. A survivor. A damn Dixon. "Ya been through a lot. Only been days," he said.

"We all been through a lot. Last time you got hurt or lost someone close- d'they babysit you? Is that what you wanted? To be babied and stared at all day? Thinkin' about what happened all day? Or did you want to go back to bein' useful?" The kid had fire in his eyes. It coulda been the fierce determination to prove himself to the group or the beginning of a crumbling breakdown. But Daryl saw himself in the kid. And he went with his instincts.

"Ya hunt?" Daryl asked.

"Yes, sir. I hunted with my dad even before."

"'A'right. I'll take you with me tomorrow morning. I'll tell Tyrese." And Daryl turned and walked away.

"Thank you."

"'S nothin'." 

***********  
Rick, Glenn, Maggie and Daryl had lunch and as they ate, nearly everyone in the prison stopped by to see they were back and safe with their own eyes. They planned a council meeting for later that evening, and Glenn left to let the other members know. Maggie finally sweet talked Daryl into letting her take a better look at his leg. 

Rick sat in front of a table of maps alone, but he couldn't focus. He needed to start getting his thoughts in order for the council meeting, but all he could think about was Daryl. Reading his mind as they walked.

Then struggling against Rick as he shouted his safe word. Telling Rick he loved him. Then safe word. Kissing him slowly and gently, fingers twisted into each other's hair. Safe word.

"Lost?" Michonne asked, coming up behind him.

"You have no idea."

"Whatcha lookin' for?"

Rick shrugged. Pushing the maps aside, he asked, "Can I talk to you? 'Bout somethin' private?"

Michonne slowly sat across from him, a suspicious look on her face. "Okay," she said cautiously.

After a moment Rick said quietly, "Daryl used his safe word last night."

"Okay..." Michonne said again, waiting for the question.

Rick sat, waiting for an answer. Then, realizing Michonne wasn't getting it, he continued. "So ... What do I do?"

Michonne smiled and shook her head. "You think I'm some kinda expert on that stuff just cause I knew what a safe word was? Jesus, Rick, I don't know anything about that shit... I just read a book once." She laughed.

Rick put his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry." She laughed again. I can tell you're upset, I mean, I don't know... did you stop?"

"Yes! Immediately," Rick responded, a little offended that she would even think he wouldn't. Even though she probably had a right to.

"So what's the problem?"

"Well, what do I do now?"

"Is he pissed?"

"No. He's totally fine. Acted like it was no big deal. Like that's part of the deal and he said it and I stopped and it's over."

"Ok then. So I don't get it. It's over then, right?" Michonne asked, perplexed.

"I don't want it to happen again. What... How do I... do... better at this?" Rick stumbled through his words.

Michonne leaned back in her chair. "So are you basically asking me for relationship advice?"

Rick looked back at her just as confused. "Christ- I guess."

Michonne leaned in, unable to keep from smiling. "Rick, I'll tell you what I know. Daryl is, clearly, completely in love with you. Maybe you should ask him how to... be better at this?"

"He already thinks I'm perfect." Rick rolled his eyes.

"So this is YOUR problem, not a problem with Daryl?" she asked, honestly looking for clarification.

Rick didn't respond. He sighed.

"Ok, so despite my better judgement, I'll ask. What were you doing when he said it?" Michonne sighed, hiding her eyes with her hand as she waited for an answer. "And please be as vague as possible here."

"I was... Angry. At other stuff, I guess. And was yelling at him."

Michonne peeked out from behind her hand. "Got it... So- here's what you do then," she started. Rick leaned in intently.

"Don't do that again," Michonne said. Rick dropped his head back in his hands, defeated.

"I'm not trying to be a smart ass, Rick. I'm serious," Michonne said. "I don't know exactly how you guys... do things normally, but if it's the angry yelling he doesn't like, then you need to stay the fuck away from him when you feel it boiling up. Figure out another outlet. Throw a glass or punch a wall or some shit." 

Rick nodded slowly, absorbing what she was saying. "Yah. Ok."

Michonne looked surprised. "Really? Did I just help?"

Rick nodded. "Yah. I think so," he said, just as surprised. "Thanks."

Michonne stood, clearly proud of herself. "I'm gonna have to update the title on my business cards- Katana-wielding apocalyptic bad-ass and relationship counselor extraordinaire."

Rick smiled as she walked away. He felt some of the tension melt away just by being reminded of the people he had around him and how much they all meant to each other. He folded the maps and stood, deciding to bring up his concerns about the longevity of staying at the prison with the rest of the council. If he could ask Michonne for help with his lover than surely he could ask for the council's help with stuff they are supposed to be helping with anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback are always greatly appreciated and help fuel my imagination for upcoming chapters! 
> 
> I've got another exciting find for everyone- If you love Rickyl and you can handle a deep and emotional story- you have got to check out The Disestablishment of Paradise by Mel14. Daryl is blinded by an explosion. The helplessness Daryl suddenly finds himself in is literally almost upsetting to read, but it is so powerful and so well written and the chemistry between Rick and Daryl is amazing!


	27. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick, still feeling guilty after the use of the safe word, makes it up to Daryl with some spectacular sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for my brief hiatus from this fic. If you are following it, you'll be happy to know that it is complete and I'll be posting these last five chapters probably every other day throughout the week.
> 
> A big welcome home to my vacationing beta-reader, Skarlatha, who has been hard at work editing these final chapters!! (Side note: she's also working on a new story of her own that you should all be eagerly awaiting! If you aren't already subscribed to get updated when she posts, you should drop everything and do so immediately!!)

When Rick returned to his room Daryl was waiting for him, undressed and kneeling by the bed.

Rick grinned, "What's this?" he asked.

"Waitin' for ya." Daryl said coyly. His thoughts must have already been spinning because his pupils were blown and his voice was deep.

Rick unhooked his belt and put his holster and weapons on the makeshift desk. He pulled a chair up to Daryl and sat in front of him, taking his head in his hands. "You're beautiful," he said.

Daryl looked down, shy.

"You don't believe me," Rick said with a pout.

Daryl just looked at him, wide-eyed and eager. He didn't believe it. Dixons aren’t beautiful. They just aren’t. That’s as much a fact as water is wet and the sky is blue. But if Rick wanted to say it anyway, that was fine. Whatever Rick wanted.

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

"Then why would I lie about this? You are beautiful. I can't keep my eyes off of you like this," he murmured, tracing his fingers along Daryl's collarbone and then down his side. Daryl kept his hands folded behind him and shivered at the light touch.

Rick kissed Daryl softly, leaning down from his chair to meet his lips. He stood and undid his pants, pulled them off and tossed them in the corner. He took his shirt off and dropped it at his feet.

Daryl's mouth watered at the sight of Rick's hard cock and his mouth dropped open to receive it. Rick didn't move towards him and when Daryl looked up to question it, the leader was shaking his head. "No. Get on the bed," he said softly, demanding but gentle.

Daryl’s eyebrows shifted to question, but he obeyed.

"Lay down," Rick said as he slid in next to the confused hunter. He took Daryl's hands in his own, raised them up to the metal bars on the headboard and wrapped Daryl's hands around them. "Stay. Yes?" he asked, making sure he was clear.

"Yes," Daryl whispered.

"Don't move them," Rick said. Daryl nodded his understanding.

Rick kissed him again gently, softly, not even using tongue. Daryl invited Rick with opened lips but it was to no avail. Rick just sucked and kissed gently on the hunter's lips, pulling away every time Daryl tried to use his tongue to clamp their mouths together. The tease was driving Daryl crazy.

Rick straddled the hunter, trailing kisses down to his neck and along his collarbone.

Daryl started to rock his hips when he felt Rick's hardness pressed against his own.

Rick sat up, looking down at his hunter. He shook his head again. "No." He lifted his pelvis off and backed up, kissing down Daryl's chest, stopping at each nipple, sucking and licking. He took each one in his teeth and bit just hard enough to elicit a gasp from his lover.

Daryl panted and writhed under Rick, but he kept his hands gripped to the metal bars as he was instructed. He watched the leader move down lower until his mouth was kissing and licking at his hip bone, letting the side of his face brush against Daryl's cock.

The hunter let out a gasp. "Rick, what are you doing?" he asked. The leader had never taken him fully in his mouth and now Rick was there, close, his warm mouth kissing and sucking along hips and thighs. He bit gently, just little nips along his inner thighs. And then he licked Daryl's cock slowly from the base of his shaft to the head and the hunter's entire body stiffened. "Rick?" he asked, almost in tears at the intensity.

Rick ignored his questions and took his cock in his mouth, swirling his tongue and sucking the shaft, doing everything Daryl had done for him, everything he knew would feel amazing. Daryl gripped harder on the metal rails, concentrating not just on Rick's mouth, but on obeying his lover's wishes to keep his hands in place. He wanted so badly to slide his fingers into Rick's loose curls. It was unbearable watching his lean, hard body on him without being able to touch.

As Rick tightened his lips around Daryl and quickened his pace, Daryl cried out, "Jesus Christ, Rick. I'm gonna go. I can't..."

Rick pulled off. "I don't want you to yet,” he said breathless but stern.

Daryl's muscles were tight and tense, grasping on the metal bars as if he'd fall without a grip on them. His biceps bulged as he gripped tighter while Rick used his hand to gently stroke his lover. Daryl's head thrashed back, eyes squeezed shut. His breath was out of rhythm.

The leader reached under the bed and brought up the lube, got two of his fingers ready and started to press one slowly into Daryl’s entrance. As he did he slowly licked his shaft, occasionally taking the opportunity to suck the whole thing into his mouth again. With two fingers in and pumping, Daryl cried out, "Rick. Fuck. I don't know if I can... If I can hold back."

The leader took his mouth and fingers away, leaving Daryl naked and empty and groaning. He pushed Daryl's knees up. "Fuck, Rick. Please," Daryl groaned. Rick lubed up his cock and slowly entered him. Daryl concentrated on each breath, eyes still shut and forehead wrinkled as his eyes knit.

Once deep inside, Rick slowly pumped in and out, heart racing. Daryl's eyes rolled back, his head stretched back, and Rick admired his long neck. He could see the blood pulsing in it. He slowed his thrusts and put his mouth on Daryl at the spot above his collarbone, in the crevice of his neck. He kissed, then sucked, then grabbed some of the flesh in his teeth and bit down slowly. He started pumping in and out of Daryl harder, slowly biting down harder, and harder and harder until he felt a tooth pop through the flesh and tasted blood.

Daryl cried out as the sensations against his prostrate meshed with the slowly increasing pain from the deepening bite until he was crazed with the need for release. He came uncontrollably, body convulsing as his untouched cock pulsed and spurted between them, hands still gripping the metal bars so hard they were stiff and sore. The sound from Daryl drove Rick over the brink and he came hard inside his lover.

Rick pulled out and got a towel. Daryl was still breathing heavily, fists white-knuckled on the metal bars. He used a rag to clean Daryl's stomach off and wiped at the cum that dripped out of him. He rubbed his fingers over Daryl's fists.

"You can let your hands go," Rick said softly.

Daryl did and sat up, flexing his hands to get the blood pumping back through them again. A small dribble of blood dripped down his chest from Rick's bite. Rick climbed onto the bed and sat Indian-style, reaching for one of Daryl's hands.

"Here," he said and took his hand, massaging and rubbing it, using his thumbs to press out each finger.

"That was good," Daryl said, wrecked but smiling, hair sticking every which way.

Rick smiled back. "Your hands stiff?"

"If I say yes will ya keep doing that?"

Rick laughed and kept kneading his thumbs into the palm of Daryl's hand, then moved to the next. "Thanks for stopping me from being a dick last night." Rick said, not meeting his eyes, still ashamed.

"That my reward?" Daryl asked, smiling.

"No," Rick laughed, feeling better at Daryl’s casual response. He really was completely ok with it and that was an enormous relief to Rick. "That was me taking what I wanted."

"Liked it," Daryl said.

"I know you did." Rick grinned. "Ain't gonna take stuff I don't think you'll like. I'm learnin', I swear." This time he did look up and Daryl just had a still-dazed grin on his face and total love and devotion in his eyes.

Rick motioned for Daryl to turn around and he continued to massage him, moving to the shoulders that he knew would be sore from the position he'd held.

"You goin' out first thing with Randall?"

"Mhmm."

"Can take my rifle if ya want. 'S better than the ones we have in storage."

"Ain't takin' guns," Daryl said.

"What?" Rick asked, perplexed, “Thought the kid said he was a gun hunter.”

"We'll have pistols in case'a trouble, but I got two bows now. Gotta teach someone else how ta hunt quiet."

"You haven't even tried to teach me to shoot that thing yet."

"Ya jealous, Rick?” Daryl said, teasing.

"Yes. I am," Rick said, although he was still smiling.

"I'll give you a private lesson sometime in the yard. Targets won't run off when they hear your giant feet clompin' all over."

Rick pushed at his hunter teasingly and then pulled him back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around him.

As Rick laid back with Daryl in his arms he absently brushed at his chest, deep in thought. "Y'know, Lori used to nag me all the time that I didn't tell her I loved her enough."

"Is that the thoughts that come to your head while you're fucking me in the ass?" Daryl scoffed.

"Just, you never ask. Never seem to care if I say it and sometimes act like it's a burden to hear, but you... I wanna tell it to you all the time."

"Well, are ya gonna?" Daryl asked with sarcastic impatience and a smile in his voice.

"I love you,” Rick said and Daryl was glad he was facing away so his leader couldn’t see the smile. Fucking girly to get all smiles over that shit. Even if he was taking it in the ass, he was gonna take it in the ass like a man and not expect to be showered with love afterwards, although he secretly liked it. And he thought Rick probably knew that.

"Are you gonna nag me like Lori to say it back?"

Rick laughed. "No."

Daryl pulled one of Rick's hands to his lips and kissed it gently. "You know anyway, dumbass. You know I love you."

"Mmhmm" Rick murmured, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you'll have time to drop me a line and let me know if people are still reading this! :-) I feel guilty for taking such a long break for other fics! But as I mentioned above- the end is near!
> 
> And- I have some recommended reading for you today!- Doing Things Properly by HalfBloodDeviant. It was already amazing before I even started it because he summary alone is killer! And then the fic itself! Just wow! Great Rickyl dialogue. Incredibly witty and well-written. And of course, smut... Really good smut! Check it out!


	28. Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl teaches Randal how to handle the crossbow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Skarlatha who's making sure everything is fitting together as I finish this fic off!!

Daryl slipped out of bed and dressed while Rick slept naked, tangled in the sheets. Once dressed, with his crossbow over his shoulder, he knelt down and kissed Rick's forehead.

The leader stirred and opened his sleepy eyes, rubbing at them as he sat up. "You goin'?" he asked, voice filled with sleep.

"Yah, probably gonna lose time waking the kid up, so wanted to get going sooner rather than later," Daryl explained as he grabbed his second crossbow.

"Got pistols for emergencies?"

"Yup, and knives. We ain't goin' far, this is just a little lesson. Mostly just gonna work on tracking and aiming and shit. Don't hold your breath about us coming back with anything."

Rick stood, still naked, and kissed Daryl. "Just so long as ya come back."

"I will. Got too much to not come back," he said, rubbing Rick's hip as he leaned in for another peck on the lips. "Love you," he whispered, because he knew Rick liked to hear it so much. And because he meant it.

Rick smiled all the way up to his eyes. "Love you, too."

The prison was dark and quiet, the sun barely cracking the sky. But Daryl knew his way around the prison and made his way towards Randall's cell without even needing a flashlight.

To Daryl's surprise, the kid was dressed and waiting. He jumped off his bed and walked out to Daryl.

"Damn. Thought I's gonna have to wake yer ass up."

"You said dawn," Randall answered.

Yah, I did. Most people 'round here think dawn means after breakfast in broad daylight," Daryl said and tossed the newly acquired crossbow at the kid.

He caught it, but frowned. "I actually hunt with a rifle."

"Not today, Randall," and he turned and led the way out to the front gates.

The kid followed.

"You got a knife on ya?" the hunter asked.

"Yah, always."

"Pistol?"

"No. Y'all took mine when I first got here." he said with a bit of teenage attitude.

Daryl took one of his two and handed it to the kid. "Fully loaded but don't go using it to shoot at fucking rabbits and shit. Guns are for emergencies only. Too noisy. That's why you're gonna learn how to shoot with a bow."

"Ok."

As they made their way through the nearby woods, Daryl noticed that the kid was not too bad at walking quietly. Had Rick beat, but that wasn't saying much.

"What do you know about trackin' deer?"

"'nough ta know they ain't as many ta follow as there used to be before the rotters come. Too many times ya follow one that leads to a deer three-days dead and chewed up."

Daryl nodded. "So ya have been payin' attention."

"I did survive in this world 'fore y'all found me," he answered.

Daryl nodded. "Yah, sorry," he muttered.

The familiar groans of a single walker drew both their attention at once.

"Just one. Why don't you go 'head and take it?" Daryl said.

Randall lifted the crossbow and aimed as the walker came into view and asked, "With the bow?"

"I'd recommend going with the knife since the bow ain't even loaded." Daryl said with a bite of sarcasm as he leaned against a tree to see what the kid was made of.

"Aw Fuck. Yea. Right." He dropped the crossbow, grabbed his knife and walked without fear towards the walker, grabbed it by the hair and knifed it through the eye.

The body dropped and Randall turned around, quite pleased with himself.

"Well, first of all, don't EVER throw your bow like that. Your bow is your baby. Second of all, don't go grabbing hair from the front like that, might slip and wind up in teeth. Pull it from the back if you need to steady one a the fuckers."

Randall's smile faded but he nodded and picked up his bow.

"So teach me how to load it."

The kid was impatient, but eager and a quick learner. Daryl unloaded his bow and reloaded it several times as Randall watched.

"Yours is the same. Give it a try."

Daryl watched as the wiry young man tugged and pulled at the bowstring, trying to mimic Daryl's fluid movements. He got one loaded. It was clumsy and took a full five minutes, but you gotta start somewhere.

Daryl explained how to aim and how to take a shot. Then he sauntered over to the walker and leaned the corpse up against the tree. As he looked at it he muttered, "Goddamn, I miss McDonald's."

Kenneth, according to his name tag, must have literally died in the middle of packing a Happy Meal because the fucker was clad hat to pants in his McDonald's uniform. 

"Kenneth here has volunteered to be our target for some practice shots," Daryl said as he pointed to move Randall further back. "Aim for the head. Take your time for now, but you will have to practice getting faster. For now just focus on aim, not reloading speed."

Randall held the bow up.

"Once you got it lined up, breathe through it and don't flinch until you see the bolt hit, keep your posture."

Randall lowered the weapon. "Are you done? 'Cause I'm trying to concentrate."

Daryl just laughed and shook his head. "Go on."

The kid took his time and the first arrow soared about four feet to the right of the tree Kenneth sat under.

"Ok," Daryl said. "That's actually pretty good. Lot'a people try a first shot and the arrow just drops to the ground at their feet. I'm totally not kidding. Go on and shoot the whole batch then I'll get 'em and we'll go again."

Randall nodded, already working to load another bolt.

As the morning went on, the kid got three shots into Kenneth. No head shots, but close- two in the chest and one in the nuts. Three out of about fifty shots wasn't horrible for a first time. Bow's a hard weapon to pick up. Daryl found that he had to do more pep talking than teaching.

On the way back they saw a squirrel and Daryl let the kid take the shot. They got back to the prison by noon empty-handed.

........,,,

Daryl set up a target in the yard and damn if that kid didn't practice out there for hours every day, literally for weeks! He seemed rejuvenated like he had purpose and goals. Daryl was proud of the kid. And Rick was proud of Daryl for being such a patient teacher. 

Once Daryl noticed the kid was loading faster, they went out again. 

Tracks were few and far between as usual. They trudged through the woods dejected and without much hope.

"Heard Rick saying we ain't gonna be able to stay at the prison much past winter," Randall said.

"Yah," Daryl responded, never one to use more words than necessary.

"So what do you think?" Randall asked.

"Bout what?" Daryl asked. In his mind, the conversation was over.

"Bout where we'd go."

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and stopped to examine some disturbed foliage then said, "Wherever we can find better huntin' I guess. Rick will figure somethin' out."

Randall kinda laughed and said, "Yea, should've guessed that."

Daryl stopped. "What's that mean?"

"Just that you wouldn't have much of an opinion." He paused then continued, "It's obvious he wears the pants in the relationship."

Daryl stiffened defensively. "Actually, in our relationship usually neither one of us is wearin' pants." If the kid was gonna jab him, then he was at least gonna retaliate by makin' him uncomfortable.

Randall got flustered. "I didn't mean it like that."

"How d'ya mean it? Like I'm the girl?" Daryl said, feelin' almost like he was picking a fight on purpose. Mostly just cause he was aggravated at the piss-poor hunting and Randall just happened to be there to take the fallout.

"Jesus, Daryl. No. I just meant he LIKES to make decisions and you don't."

"Well. Ok. That's true," Daryl said, smiling, thinking it was kinda funny that he got the kid all worked up. And really, it was totally true anyway. Rick did wear the pants in the relationship, but mostly because Daryl let him. Wanted him to. He knew how the balance of power worked now. It was not as cut and dried as it originally seemed.

"Christ, thought I was gonna get another black eye," Randall said, loosening up.

"Can't," Daryl said, "Rick said not to and he wears the pants." 

They both laughed. Daryl had really started to like the kid. Liked to give him a hard time. Liked teaching him and watching him improve. They even ate together sometimes with Maggie or Rick. Another friend.

"I got an idea actually," Randall said.

"Bout what?" 

"About where to go!" Randall said, half frustrated and half laughing.

"Oh yah. Where?"

"When I was on the road with my people. Y'know before. We'd just started seeing signs for some safe haven. A community they called Terminus. Signs were up on the railroad tracks."

Randall waited and got no reaction. "Well, what do you think?" he finally said.

"I think you talk too much. Sposed to be huntin' right now, not packing a movin' van to Terminatorville."

"Ain't been a single track out here all day. No deer. No squirrel. Ain't even seen a fucking toad. We ain't hunting, Daryl. We're taking a walk in the woods," Randall said, his frustration now showing as well.

Kid was right, Daryl thought. "Let's head back."

..........

Unfortunately, with the target set up so conveniently in the back of the prison's yard, Rick finally nagged Daryl enough about a lesson that he gave in.

As they walked out, Daryl gave Rick his crossbow. "You seen me load it enough, right? Go on." Rick started fumbling with it as Daryl walked over to the target. Lots of activity in the center. Randall's getting it. Daryl made a mental note to remind him that a moving target under stress is a lot different. He didn't want him to get too cocky. He'll need to get out in the field again soon, maybe drive further out to try to find better hunting. He needed more practical practice.

As he walked back to Rick he could tell he didn't have the same natural talent as the kid. He was still fumbling and dropping the arrow.

Daryl laughed as he approached. "You just wanted to learn how to shoot it anyway, right?" he asked. "Give it to me, I'll load it."

In a motion so quick Rick couldn't follow the steps, Daryl had it loaded and aimed.

"Coulda done it," Rick said. "I just like watching you do it."

Daryl grinned. "You here ta learn ta shoot or just here to flirt with me?"

"Both," Rick answered.

Daryl handed Rick the loaded bow and gave him some basic instructions. He patted him on the ass and then stepped back.

Rick shot and the arrow dropped to the ground by his feet. "Son of a bitch," Rick muttered.

"Rick, I don't know that this is gonna be your thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is near!


	29. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Maggie and Randal make the last run for the winter and things do not end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had rushed this chapter to get my characters from A to B for the impending action. And thanks to Skarlatha, she called me on it and made suggestions on where I could use more dialogue and more descriptions. I have her to thank that this chapter is better now than it first was!

Daryl, Maggie, Rick and Michonne packed up the SUV with the supplies they'd need to last them for an overnight trip. It was their turn to make the last run before they wrapped it up for winter. Glenn and Maggie were saying their goodbyes when Randall marched up with a backpack of his own and his crossbow.

"Hey, Randall. Goin' huntin' while we're gone?" Rick asked.

"I'm always huntin'. Why can't I go with you?"

"We already got four, maybe next time," Rick answered.

Randall looked to Daryl, jaw dropped, expecting him to jump in. 

"What?" Daryl asked.

"You said I needed practice in the field."

"Meant goin' somewhere further out with better huntin'. A run into a town's little more dangerous," Daryl answered, leaning back against the car as Rick filled it up from a gas can.

"For fuck's sake! I've been to towns before you people! I've been on runs before you people! Why you always trying to baby me?"

"Five's an odd number," Daryl said, completely unfazed by the kid's excitement.

"So the fuck what?"

Daryl cocked his head a little indicating maybe Randall had a point on that. Then he followed with "Rick said no." And the hunter picked up his own duffle bag, checking through it to make sure he had everything- bottled water, extra bullets for the rifles, matches, binoculars, flashlights...

"I already heard what Rick said. I wanna hear what YOU say." 

Daryl looked from his bag to Rick. The leader was keeping his eyes on the gas tank but he was grinning at the exchange. 

"What the fuck? Is this like 'Dad said no so I'm gonna ask mom?" Daryl turned his gaze to the kid, "Are you sayin' I'm the mom?" And it was all he could do not to crack a smile. For some reason he really enjoyed playing with the kid like this. Razzing the boy like Merle used to do with Daryl.

Michonne walked past them, shooting Daryl a smirk. "Shotgun," she said and slid into the front seat.

"Godammit!" Daryl yelled. "See what you did?"

"Good! Hope the car's so fuckin' full after your done they gotta tie ya to the roof on the way home." And Randall threw the pack he had off his shoulder and kicked at it.

Daryl looked back to Rick as the kid muttered and kicked and they had one of their unspoken conversations, all blue eyes and nods. 

"Fine," Rick said. "Get in, but listen to everything we say."

Randall stopped his muttering and smiled. "Yes sir!" the kid replied, picking up his pack, climbing into the back seat and giving Daryl a playfully smug look. 

"Motherfucker. I been teachin' that kid for weeks and I never got a goddamn 'yes sir'."

"Don't take it personally," Rick said. "You just don't look like a sir." He grinned, as Daryl finished chewing off a torn thumbnail and spitting it out.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment," Daryl said as he zipped his pack back up and climbed into the far back row of the SUV.

It was the longest car ride they'd had to date. A hundred miles was a hell of a long way when you had to stop every so often to clear cars off the road and take out a walker or two.

Daryl killed time in the car trying to teach everyone how to make bird sounds. It was something helpful to teach the kid and Maggie was totally enthralled with it. She tried desperately to mimic him and almost got the mourning dove by the time they saw the sign for their destination, a small train town called Clairmont.

They parked on a stretch of road near a low-income housing development. They'd come to learn that the more modest houses were the ones that others hadn't bothered to loot. They separated into two teams- Daryl and Rick took the first house and the other three took the next. They kept each home search to 30 minutes and regrouped at the car, then moved on to the next set of two houses.

This was all business. No flirting, no joking. Rick and Daryl moved like a single organism throughout each property, speaking voicelessly with eyes and nods. 

After the third set of houses the SUV was getting pretty well crammed. Rick and Daryl leaned back on the vehicle waiting for the other three. 

"Why do you give that damn kid such a hard time?" Rick laughed. 

Daryl shrugged. "Ain't nothin' else to do."

Rick looked over at him. "That my shirt?"

Daryl looked down at it as if he had no idea what he was wearing. "Didn't have anything clean."

"You're full of shit," Rick said flatly. "I just did some of the wash yesterday and you had three shirts in there."

Daryl shrugged. 

"You're wearing it cause it's tight on you and you think it's gonna drive me crazy seeing ya all day."

Daryl chewed a nail and glanced back up at Rick. "Is it workin?"

Rick smiled and checked his watch. 29 minutes.

"Hey," Rick said after a moment lost in thought, "found some lube in that last house."

"So... It's working then?" Daryl smiled, fake stretching so he could arch his chest. 

Rick pushed at him playfully and looked at his watch again.

"What time 's it?" Daryl asked, eyes now trained on the house the rest of the group was searching.

"32 minutes."

They ended the banter and slowly shifted into alert mode, paying attention to every sound, both keeping eyes on the next house up where they knew the other team was working.

At 34 minutes Daryl had started walking towards the house when a car door slammed in the distance. Daryl and Rick were armed, aimed and running before the sound of an engine soaked the air around them. They ran behind the home and saw dust shook up from the back alley heading west.

Rick saw the back of what seemed to be a blue Ford Taurus disappearing from view.

"Check the house," Rick shouted to Daryl as he ran back to their vehicle. 

At the back steps, Daryl saw Maggie's abandoned backpack. 

"Maggie! Michonne! Randall!" He yelled out as he quickly made his way from the kitchen to the front room of the house. "Fuck!"

Daryl came out the front door as Rick had the SUV running and right out front.

"Gone," Daryl said as he jumped in. Rick took off before the door was shut.

Daryl carelessly threw his crossbow in the back and grabbed one of the rifles, his mind more on his missing family than anything else including the proper care of his bow. Could shoot out the tires maybe if they could catch up.

They swung around the block to a swirl of dust just settling from the alley.

"Which way?" Rick yelled.

"Straight. Follow the dust."

At the next intersection to a main road, Rick stopped, frustrated. "Which way!?" he demanded, trying to keep the panic he was feeling out of his voice.

Daryl jumped out and walked a few steps in both directions, a hand running through his hair, focused on any signs that the asphalt was recently disturbed. His heart was thudding in his chest at the thought of losing Maggie. Losing any of them. A sparkle caught his eye and he ran down the road to the right. Rick followed in the car slowly.

Daryl bent down, picking something up as the car pulled beside him. Rick had reached over and opened the door. "What is it?" he asked.

"Keep this way," Daryl instructed as he hopped back in holding up a rabbit's foot necklace. "I gave it to the kid, he must have thrown it out to guide us- this way."

As they drove, they passed several spray-painted signs that said "Terminus" with arrows and maps.

After the third one Daryl asked, "Think that's where they're from?" 

"Worth a shot," Rick said, blue eyes focused on the road. "We're basically just guessing now.

As they got closer to a railway station they slowed. A giant brick building was over the horizon with letters in the windows spelling out Terminus.

They parked on the hill out of view. Daryl got the binoculars out of his duffle, threw his crossbow around his shoulder and they made their way to the fence that surrounded the station. Daryl scanned the buildings through the binoculars. "D'you get a look at the car when it was driving away?"

Rick nodded. "Blue. Taurus, I think."

"It's here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters!! Hope everyone is still enjoying this!!


	30. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Daryl arrive at Terminus, determined to work together to save their people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skarlatha saves the day again with excellent suggestions on how to make this as strong as possible. Thanks you, Skari!

Daryl paced along the fence, his old caged animal pace, and he seethed with anger. "Goddamnit, Rick. I ain't gonna sit here an' wait. Maggie's down there. Michonne and the kid. Who knows what they are doing right NOW!"

"Daryl, stop," Rick said, calm and calculating. "You can't react with emotion here. We need to do this smart and two of us goin' guns blazing into a situation we know nothing about will be suicide. It will get us ALL killed. Now shut up, and let me think."

Rick held the binoculars now, observing. "'M guessing they parked right at the building they brought 'em into. Plenty more road in front of the other buildings, coulda gone further in if they wanted to."

Daryl stopped pacing and watched. Listened. "They got a man on the roof." Daryl pointed.

Rick zoomed in with his binoculars, "He's focused on the other side. We can go that way. Stay along the tree line, re-evaluate at that outbuilding and get to those windows. See what we can see."

"Let's go then," Daryl said, raising his crossbow and moving out ahead of Rick. Rick had the rifle out, following close to Daryl. They made it to the outbuilding.

"Another one on the roof," Daryl said and pointed to the southeast corner of the building. 

"He's focused towards the front too. Let's go." Rick said.

The men moved like wind, invisible and quiet. At their destination, they stood, backs to the building beside the over-sized window, Rick nodding instruction for Daryl to look. The hunter glanced in, bow aimed to the ground. When he turned back to Rick he pointed to the windowpane busted at the top corner and put his finger to his lips.

Rick's eyes asked for information. 

The hunter looked back in, observing. He looked to his leader and mouthed "Maggie. Michonne." Then held up four fingers and made the shape of a gun with his hand. Rick nodded.

Daryl looked back in, cocked his head trying to listen. He pulled back away from the window. Held his wrists together to tell Rick they were bound and put a hand over his mouth. Gagged. 

As he watched again he edited his report, holding up three fingers and the gun sign and one finger and tapped at his knife.

Daryl backed away from the window and leaned close to Rick. He whispered so low that Rick understood more just by watching his lips move rather than hearing the soft hush of words. "Room is big but looks like it has a door to another room on this side. Maybe an atrium or waiting room or something. Check around the corner- is there a door along that wall?"

As Rick backed up to look, Daryl whistled the mourning dove to Maggie. I'm here, I'm coming, he thought, willing her to read his mind. He peeked back in and the fear in Maggie's face had lessened.

Rick slipped back. "Yes. Door. Still just the four?" he whispered.

Daryl looked back in and nodded as he kept watching. After another few minutes the hunter's body language tensed. He motioned to Rick, but kept his eyes in the room. He held up two fingers and the gun sign and pointed toward the other side of the building. He looked back to Rick and moved to him. "Just two now, one gun, one knife. Gotta go in now."

The two slipped around the building, staying close to its concrete wall and luck was with them, the door was unlocked. They opened it slowly, silently and slipped into an entry way. It was a large room with high ceilings and it was piled with bones. Human bones. "Jesus Christ," Rick thought as he added up the scenario. Daryl looked to Rick as he made the connection as well. Real fear in his eyes. Rick's expressive pupils bore into Daryl's with instruction. Breathe. Focus. Stay calm. Daryl could read that and he nodded. Rick cocked his head to the half-closed door where voices floated in from.

Daryl peeked in with his crossbow at the ready.

"Ain't nothin' personal ladies," the man with the knife said.

"Come on, Jim. You're supposed to bleed 'em out, not talk 'em to fucking death."

"Fuck you, Danny. This is my first time. Back the fuck off and give me a--"

Thwap.

The thud of an arrow appeared in Danny's eye socket and Daryl entered the room as Rick stepped in behind him with his rifle trained on Jim.

"Step back," the leader hissed quietly. "Step the fuck back." 

Jim held his hands up, knife in one. "Hey, man. 'S ok."

Daryl inched closer with his crossbow aimed. "Drop the knife," he says quietly.

"We can work this out man." Jim said.

"Drop it," Rick hissed louder.

"Ok, man. It's cool." And he placed it slowly on the table.

Daryl moved forward, shouldering the crossbow, then took the knife and cut Maggie's binds and then Michonne's. They each pulled their own gags off.

"Daryl," Maggie said, eyes bloodshot from tears. "I heard you. I knew you'd find us."

He took his pistol from his waistband and handed it to her. Then brought the crossbow back up to aim at Jim.

Michonne ran to the corner and dug her katana out of a pile of victim's belongings. She grabbed two more pistols, pocketing one and tucking the other into Daryl's back waistband. He nodded an unspoken thanks to the samurai, keeping his eyes on Jim.

"Where's our third person- the young kid?" Rick asked, gun still aimed.

"Let's work out a deal, man. Let me go."

"Rick, they got him and a bunch of others in a train car. I can take you," Michonne said, sneering at Jim.

"How many of you are there?" Rick asked his prisoner.

"Plenty," he said smugly.

"How many?" Rick snarled. 

"No way you gettin' out'a here mother fu--"

Thwap. An arrow flew right by Jim's head and buried itself in the wall behind him. 

"Goddammit, Daryl." 

"Didn't hit 'im, Rick. Just trying to encourage him."

Rick looked back to Jim. "If I give him the ok, he ain't gonna miss again. How many?"

Jim was procrastinating. Buying time. "What assurances do I have that you'll let--"

"He ain't gonna tell us shit, Rick. We're wasting time."

Rick took a minute to think. "You're right, Daryl. Go ahead."

Jim's eyes widened as a bolt found a spot between them to sink into with a soft squish. His body toppled over into the metal basin in front of him.

Daryl shouldered his crossbow. "Gasoline over there for their chainsaws. I say we soak this room and burn it. Diversion. Michonne takes us to the train car and we get the rest out," he said.

Rick was already heading for the gas cans. Daryl felt himself pump up with pride that his plan was embraced without question.

"They ain't armed," Maggie said and she and Michonne went back to the pile of clothes and backpacks searching for more weapons. They slipped a few pistol they found into a back pack that Maggie wore and both women found and grabbed rifles.

Rick and Daryl now both had cans of gas pouring it on the piles of clothes and belongings, the base of the walls, the butcher block tables and damp blood soaked towels stacked in a trash can.

"There's men on the roofs," Rick said. "Diversion should distract but be aware. Michonne, you lead." 

She nodded. As they were ready to slip out they door they came in through, Daryl fumbled in his pocket for his zippo. The door across the room opened and a voice came booming "what the hell is this sme--" And Daryl tossed the zippo as they hustled outside, all getting thrown off their feet and crawling for cover into a copse of bushes. 

Michonne stood first and dusted herself off. "Follow me. I've seen at least eight men and women here but there's got to be more. Big place."

"Don't forget, they got some on the roofs. Daryl, Maggie- keep your eyes up there. Michonne, lead the way," Rick said as sweat dripped down his forehead, mussed curls damp from the heat of the nearby fire. 

Several Termites ran past the bushes carrying buckets, eyes on the fire and not noticing the hidden group.

Michonne took off moving, silent and fast, turning corners around buildings away from the fire and the voices that were trying to coordinate a strategy to put it out.

Rick saw a red train car ahead. As they ran, Daryl moved to the front and reached the door first- he fumbled with how to open it and Michonne leaned in to help. They heard voices inside.

"It's ok," Michonne whispered loudly. "It's Maggie and Michonne, we got help. We're here to get you out."

Daryl grew frustrated with the complicated handle on the car. He handed the crossbow to Maggie so he could use both hands. The door finally slid open.

Rick looked in. "We burned one of their buildings but the distraction won't last much longer. We got a vehicle up at that hill. Go, go."

Maggie and Michonne handed pistols to each person as they exited. One muscle-bound, red-headed jarhead, two attractive brunettes and a guy with an actual mullet. Last was Randall. They all armed up and ran as instructed. Daryl peeked in last to make sure that was it.

"Come on, Daryl." Rick yelled.

A shotgun cocked and the cool metal of double barrels kissed Rick's forehead.

"You're stealing. That's a criminal offense punishable by death," the new voice said.

"Can't steal people," Rick said as he raised his hands.

"Rick, shut up," Daryl said, knowin' how cocky he could be and reading that this yuppie-looking, latte-drinking, Prius-driving, hipster douchebag probably wouldn't take well to Rick's attitude.

"Your man is clearly smarter than you, Rick."

Daryl did not like the sound of his lover's name on this man's tongue. He wanted to cut it out. He took stock. A pistol in his back waist band. Knife on his belt. He'd given the crossbow to Maggie. And hopefully they were all long gone.

"Guess we have you to thank for our fire-fighting practice. Don't worry, we'll get it."

"These were our people," Rick said. "You understand. I know you'd do the same for your people."

Daryl moved slowly, intending to grab the knife that was so close to his partially raised hands. He'd been practicing knife throwing on the target he'd set up back at the prison just for fun. Thought he'd have a better chance of making that happen than reaching all the way around his back for the pistol.

The yuppie moved his eyes quickly to Daryl. "No, no, no, Rick's friend. You slowly take your gun out, I know you got one, and your knife and put 'em on the ground. Then come over and take Rick's and do the same. I'm a little antsy from that fire, so don't make any sudden moves that would make my trigger finger jump."

As Daryl obeyed, the douchebag continued. "Good news is, I ain't gonna kill ya right now. Bad news is, you're staying for dinner." He smiled a predatory smile and moved back from Rick. "In the train ca--"

Thwap.

The yuppie's head spewed blood and his body fell backwards. An arrow protruded from his forehead, dead center. Rick turned to Daryl, confused.

"Well, come the fuck on," Randall said, Daryl's crossbow in his hand. 

The shot was perfect. And the kid was brave as shit to come back for them and as Daryl and Rick ran towards their waiting vehicle, they both thought about how lucky they'd been to make the right call on saving him and making him family. He's earned his spot. Black smoke from the fire helped to shield them as they made their way back up to the fence line.

Some of their supplies were tossed out on the street to make room for the extra bodies. Maggie was behind the wheel, Michonne sat shotgun, the four new folks were squeezed into the back row of the SUV and Rick, Daryl and Randall climbed into the middle seats.

Maggie floored it before the door was even shut.

Randall handed Daryl his crossbow back. "Goddamn, Randall. Good fucking job, man." Randall smiled and Daryl knew it was because he'd said man and not kid.

"You guys are some bad-ass mother-fuckers," the red-head in the back seat said as they drove away from dark black smoke and spreading flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter to go and it should be ready sometime this weekend. Hope to get your thoughts and comments as we go in for the close. I'm actually a little weepy at ending this! Lol! Thank you all for reading.


	31. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale.  
> Our group returns safely to the prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This final chapter is dedicated to the lovely Skarlatha. She is my beta-reader, cheerleader, teacher and idol. Because of her, you guys get the best of what I have. She's always pushing me to make things better and stronger. I continue to be in awe of you, Skari!

Daryl sat on the roof of the prison gazing up at the stars. He'd left a note for Rick to join him. Hopefully he'd be able to read the note. Daryl's handwriting was bad enough as it was, but being drunk as shit sure didn't do it any favors.

After their safe return and the addition of some new able bodies that instantly had a loyalty to the prison family, the scotch that T-dog found a few runs back was cracked open and a much deserved celebration was had.

Daryl stayed in the background, deflecting any accolades or talks of heroics towards Randall. The kid made a face after every sip of scotch but he sure as hell tried to keep up with the others. Daryl noticed that Rick had just one glass for a toast and nursed it the rest of the night.

Daryl, however, was the drunkest he'd been since the apocalypse hit. He still stayed quiet and out of the limelight, but had a nice hard buzz as he looked around the room. Rick and Michonne listened intently to Abraham, the red-head. Everyone else seemed to all be talking at once. 

Daryl spent most of the evening tucked against Maggie and trying to convince Glenn that she was one of the heroes herself and that Daryl didn't do much of anything but show up.

"Glenn, leave him be. He doesn't like to be a hero," she said, swatting at her husband. Then she turned privately to Daryl. "Don't worry, Mr. Modest. Glenn's my only real hero. But you, Daryl Dixon, are my best friend and I love you." Daryl kissed her cheek and smiled, speechless. 

Maggie and Glenn excused themselves, and not very subtly, with T-Dog and Tyreese whistling at them and shouting "Get some, Glenn" as the couple left the party tipsy and wrapped in each other's arms. 

Randall hopped up on the table next to Daryl after Maggie vacated her spot. He poured two shots of scotch and gave one to Daryl, who took it against his better judgement.

"Thanks for teaching me to shoot," the kid said, raising his glass.

Daryl nodded. "Thanks for shootin'," he replied, clinking glasses and downing the drink.

Randall grinned, proud. "Dead center between the eyes. You SEE that?"

"Was fuckin' beautiful, man," Daryl responded with just as wide a smile.

"Bet you couldn't a' made that shot!" Randall said, clearly trying to start what had become their customary pissing match.

"You sayin' I shoot like a girl?" Daryl grinned.

"Sayin' your a good teacher," Randall said sincerely.

They poured another and Daryl threw back what he knew HAD to be his last shot. 

Eugene, the mullet, approached them both with an awkward gait and said, in what seemed to be his everyday monotone voice, "I'd be remiss if I didn't thank you both profusely for saving our lives. I don't believe I'd make a good main course but despite all my best efforts to convince those bastards of that very case, I do believe they did truly have every intention of putting us all on the grill and serving us up with a side of wild rice. We are in your debt."

"Happy to help," Daryl said meekly as he stood on shaky legs. "I heard you're a scientist and it's funny, my friend here was just saying how he'd like to hear all about how to build a battery from scratch." As Eugene immediately began to drone on, the tipsy kid shot the hunter a look. "Nice one asshole, I will get you back for this," he muttered to Daryl and then tried to politely listen to the dullest story ever told.

Daryl giggled and found that his legs were much wobblier than he'd originally thought. He walked over and leaned down to Rick. 

"Goin' ta bed, K?" he mumbled.

Rick immediately turned his attention to his lover and Daryl felt glad of that. He'd clearly been immersed in a deep conversation, but Daryl came first. He'd always come first. And Daryl realized that before Rick, he'd never been anyone's most important before. 

"You drunk, baby?" Rick asked, smiling and putting a hand on his cheek.

"Nah s' fine," Daryl slurred.

"I'll be right up, ok?"

Daryl leaned down and kissed him sloppily right in front of Abraham and everyone else.

"K. Come soon cause I wanna come soon," Daryl giggled. He took notice to Abraham finally figuring out that they were together. "We're fuckin' case you didn't know," Daryl said, grinning.

Abraham grinned. "That seems clear, friend." He smiled, laughing. 

"Daryl!" Rick said. "Sorry," he said to Abraham. "My lover clearly had the better half of that bottle."

"Nothin to apologize for. I like a man who don't mince words." He laughed as he watched Daryl make his way to the stairs. "Ya best follow. Would hate to see yer boyfriend survive the apocalypse and cannibals only to die choking on his own vomit." 

Michonne eyed Rick cautiously. 

"What?" Rick asked as he stood to leave.

"You best not lay a hand on him like this. Not right to do when he ain't thinking straight," she said.

"Oh and you know this because of a book you read once?"

"I know this cause it's common sense," she replied.

"Grown adults aren't they?" Abraham interjected. "I plan on being that piss-drunk in another half-hour and I'm hoping to God Rosita lays a hand on me. Both hands. And her tits." 

Rick laughed so hard some of the water he'd switched to came out of his nose.

Michonne looked to Abraham, "Their relationship is a bit more complicated," she explained.

"Just cause they're dudes?" Abraham asked.

"Noooo..." Michonne said slowly, looking at Rick for guidance on how to explain.

"No, don't look at me Michonne. I'm kinda curious to hear more about my relationship," he said, smiling to show her that anything she said would be fine."

"They have a relationship that is uniquely theirs," Michonne said awkwardly. "Uhhh... You know... Rick likes to be the boss and Daryl likes to be bossed."

Rick just smiled and nodded his head.

"Hey that sounds like ours. I like to be the boss ..." Abraham starts to say as Rosita comes around from behind him and stares daggers into his eyes. "...but I can't cause she is. I love you baby," he finished. She took the drink from his hand. 

"You're done," she said, smiling. 

"You got it, boss," Abraham responded, winking at Rick. 

Rick laughed. "I gotta go. We're mighty glad ta have ya'll here."

Abraham nodded and raised a flask that seemed to appear out of nowhere to Rick. "You had a better dinner here than what they were servin' at Terminus. We all owe, you Rick. You and Daryl both." 

..........

Daryl was already naked and stretched out on a blanket even though it was a chilly 50 degrees. He heard Rick coming. Hard to miss him, as usual.

The leader sat down next to Daryl with a huge smile on his face.

"You found me," Daryl said sheepishly with starry eyes and a happy sigh. 

"You left me a note, remember?" He held it up. "It says, and I quote, 'Rix, I low u. Weet me on rool. P.s. Can me get a dog.'"

Daryl giggled.

"With this handwriting you shoulda been a doctor."

"Let's fuck," Daryl said, reaching for him.

"Nope," Rick said.

"Wha' the fuuuck, Rick?" Daryl whined. 

"Michonne said not to take advantage of you when you're this drunk."

"Fuckin' Michonne. Wha', she tha boss a you now!?"

"I'm the boss of me," Rick said.

"And the boss of me," Daryl said, dreamy-eyed. "I like you the boss of me."

"Good. Then let's go to bed."

Daryl's eyes widened with excitement.

"To sleep, Daryl," Rick said, smiling and then, quieter, whispering into his ear, "I'll fuck you tomorrow, I promise. Have you on your knees first cause I know how much you love my cock." 

"God, Rick, come on," Daryl whined again, reaching for his leader's zipper.

Rick shook his head and pushed his lover's hand down, holding it in his own against the concrete. He continued in his low bedroom voice, "Then I'd ask you to get on all fours for me, which you'll do instantly cause you fucking love to obey me, right?"

Daryl nodded, dazed, "Yah, I fuckin' love to obey you."

Rick continued in his deep husky whisper, "Then I'll fuck you excruciatingly slow til you are begging and screaming for it harder, thrusting back on me, desperate to come."

Daryl whined and squirmed. "I got a idea, let's do all that right now."

Rick shook his head and reverted to his normal tone of voice, "No, that's for tomorrow. Time for sleep now." He stood and reached down for his lover's hand.

"Rick, I'll go to bed. Promise. Won' even try ta touch ya, cross my heart. But, it'd be nice to sleep out here tonight. Can we?" 

Rick smiled and looked up at the stars. This was a place Daryl loved and felt safe. A place they shared so many times. It was comfort. It was theirs. It was also concrete and fucking 50 degrees out, but frankly, Rick would sleep on a bed of nails if it made Daryl happy.

"That seems like a good compromise," he said.

Rick disappeared and came back with blankets and pillows. And the two curled up together. Daryl's head lay on Rick's shoulder and the leader ran his finger's through Daryl's hair. He kissed him on the forehead.

"Rick," Daryl said, his voice gnawing on the outer edges of sleep. "Are you mad I got this drink?" 

"Do you want me to be mad?" Rick laughed.

"I overdid it. You might needa teach me a lesson," he said with a pout, trying to run his fingers seductively over Rick's lips but instead jabbing at a tooth with one and slipping another partially up Rick's nose.

Rick gently pulled Daryl's rogue hand down to his chest and chuckled. "Fine, I'll beat your ass tomorrow."

"Yaaayy!" Daryl said as he wiggled against Rick. "Can't wait to feel you all over my ass for days."

"You can't feel me without that?"

"What ya mean?"

Rick shrugged. "I always feel you. Every time my heart beats." 

Daryl's head lolled to the side and he looked up at Rick. "Jesus, Rick. I fucking love you so much."

Rick smiled. "I love you too. It's always been that way. And yes, I'll keep an eye out for a dog."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end. I hope those of you who've been reading enjoyed the finale. Since we writers are self-conscious and desperate for approval, I'd love to get final feedback on this story as a whole if you have time to leave a comment.
> 
> I will continue working on some scenes for the Being Daryl Dixon series if any of you are reading that, and I have an outline and a plan for a full-length fan fic novel that I'll be working on in the background. (Won't be posting til I'm well into it)
> 
> In the meantime, I'd like to leave you with some recommendations. If you like what I'm writing, chances are you'll like what I'm reading too! Please take a peek at my bookmarks for some great fics. I'd like to point out a few of my all-time faves (I may have already recommended some in previous end notes):
> 
> Beneath the Gray Fire  
> by Michelle_A_Emerlind  
> A Rickyl fic that depicts Daryl as asexual. For a story about someone completely disinterested in sex- it is hot as hell. I probably re-read this more than any other fic on here.
> 
> Kneeling Before the King  
> by Skarlatha  
> A Rickyl fic. This is not a cheap plug because she's my beta. This is a high recommendation because it is hot and hilarious. In fact, it may be the funniest fic I've read on this site... While at the same time being hot as hell!
> 
> The Disestablishment of Paradise  
> by lea_ysaye  
> Rickyl (of course). Daryl is blinded in an accident here. It's intense, heartbreakingly sad, powerful, passionate and ....just go read it!
> 
> Submission (series of three fics)  
> by veiledndarkness  
> Not Rickyl! This is Merle/Daryl then switching to Shane/Daryl. The degree of D/s here is a million times more hard core than mine. So if you liked that aspect of my story and want something with an even more submissive Daryl, this is it. I mean seriously submissive. Like- it doesn't get any more submissive than this.
> 
> Behind the Wheel  
> by Bella_Monoxide  
> Rickyl- Very heavy and hot consensual D/s. If that's your thing... You gotta read this.
> 
> Doing Things Properly  
> by HalfBloodDeviant  
> Yes- Rickyl again! The summary alone is worth a read because it is just legendary!! This fic is hilarious and the sex is fun and flirty. An absolutely fun read.
> 
> Gone Too Far  
> LostInWonder  
> It's Rickyl and it involves Rick's belt and Daryl's ass. Need I say more? Well written and character's are right on point! (Side note: this author also has a Shane/Daryl WIP that I'm in love with called Take Comfort Where You Can. It's probably my favorite Sharyl fic!)
> 
> In the Simplest Light  
> by Michelle_A_Emerlind  
> Yah, yah. I know. I already told you about this author already, but she earns a second mention with this piece. (Side note- yes it's Rickyl). If you like omega-themed fics you'll love this. Ironically, if you AREN'T into omega themed fics, you are still going to love this! I shit you not. If you've never read an omega-themed fic.... You guessed it- you will love this. This has all the passionate intensity that comes with the unspoken bond between omega and alpha but is also hysterically funny. I guarantee you will laugh out loud. If you have no idea what omega even means- well, go ahead and read this because it includes a great explanation as Daryl tells clueless Rick in the most hilarious way what this is all about!
> 
> There are several other fics I'm in love with but aren't finished yet so I don't want to quite mention ones unless I know they are complete. You'll find them in my bookmarks.
> 
> I will give a quick shout to Rickylover's Happy Family. Although it's not complete, it's really just a series of scenes in the life of Rick and Daryl in a non-ZA AU. It's in Daryl's POV and she writes him beautifully! Frankly, I don't ever want her to end it! So although it's still a work-in-progress, each chapter can still be read as one-offs. This Rickyl is very romantic and very much about love. It's great feel-good stuff!
> 
> And my final recommendation...  
> Shadows Where I Stand  
> by Skarlatha  
> Yah, I know... Her again. My beta reader. I need you to know about this fic because it is awesome, but if you stumble upon it on your own, the length may intimidate you. DO NOT LET IT! This fully-finished novel-length fic is 127,000 words long, but it is an incredibly fulfilling read that you won't be able to get out of your mind for months. It's Rickyl and a combination of canon and an AU where Rick wakes from is comma to a non-ZA world. Was it all a dream? Well, the answer to that is quite complicated! I see elements of the Walking Dead, Lost, and Stephen King's The Stand in this fic. There's lots of time to kill before the next season of the TV show starts and this fic is a great way to fill the void.
> 
> Thanks again for reading, kudo'ing, commenting, bookmarking, enjoying, etc!

**Author's Note:**

> Would love to hear feedback since this was my first attempt at pure filth.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Cover for "Always been that way"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4181766) by [SkariCovers (skarlatha)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skarlatha/pseuds/SkariCovers)




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